Sri Lanka, Tamil Tigers Agree on Autonomy within Federal System

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 06, 2002

Sri Lanka, Tamil Tigers Agree on Autonomy within Federal System

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Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels made a breakthrough in their peace talks on Thursday,agreeing on the principles of a future federal model for the nation with the Tamil area enjoying extensive autonomy, said reports from Oslo, capital of Norway.

Government negotiator G.L. Peiris and Tamil Tiger negotiator Anton Balasingham acknowledged at a news conference in Oslo that it was a "historical" breakthrough. The peace process had started in February when the two sides agreed on a truce.

Peiris said a new constitution would be drafted that grants greater autonomy to areas of the island country's north-east wherethe minority Tamils are concentrated.

The two sides agreed to hold the next round of talks in Thailand early next year on the implementation of agreement that had been reached.

The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers held the third round of peace talks in Oslo on Dec. 2-5. The two sides have held two rounds of talks in Thailand since mid September.

The Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for a separate Tamil state. The 19-year conflict has killed at least 64,000 people.

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