Some 20 Tamil political prisoners held in Sri Lanka have gone on a hunger strike protesting against their detention, prison officials said.

The prisoners have been on a hunger strike demanding their release since Wednesday, they said. They demand that if their cases are being further delayed, the cases must be transferred to the court in the northern towns of Vavuniya and Jaffna which are Tamil- dominated.

Prison officials said they are considering transferring some of the prisoners on hunger strike to the Jaffna prison for the convenience of their relatives.

The suspects held for LTTE activities are whom often called as political prisoners by the Tamil groups.