Relatives and civil rights activists demanded Wednesday that the Sri Lankan government release hundreds of ethnic Tamil ex-LTTE suspects detained without charges.

They staged a silent protest in front of the Fort Railway Station, demanding the immediate release of their family members still detained under anti-terrorism laws. Demonstrators displayed a placard that read: "Free all political prisoners."

The protest was held to support a fast by Tamil detainees in various prisons.

Sanjeewa Bandara, a spokesman for the Movement for Equal Rights, told reporters that about 300 minority Tamils are being held, "but they are not responsible for the war, they are in fact the victims of the war."

After the protest at Fort Railway Station, the protesters marched to the Presidential Secretariat to handover a letter. A delegation was allowed to enter the Presidential Secretariat.