COLOMBO, Apr 3: President Chandrika Kumaratunga has proposed April 8 and 10 for resuming peace talks with Tamil rebels that have been stalled for more than two months, reports AP.

The dates were suggested . in a letter on Saturday to' rebel chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran. officials said Monday The talks could be held in rebel held Jaffna, the town in northern Sri Lanka where the previous two rounds of talks were held •

The rebels had not re

sponded so far. said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity

The president bad rejected the rebels invitation to Jaffna on April 1. saying they had not' given her sufficient notice.

Both sides have accused the other of bad faith. Ku maratunga says the guerillas are stalling on (he opening of discussions on a political solution to the 11-year conflict to squeeze more military conces slons from the government

The guerillas have said they will consider abandoning he peace process until the government agrees within three weeks to • lift an economic blockade of Jaffna and remove a strategic military base in the north.

The rebels have been fighting for an Independent homeland accusing the majority Sinhalese discrimination in education and Jobs. More than 34 000 people have been killed in the ethnic war since 1984