Tamil prisoners in Sri Lanka, some held without charge since the 1990s, have gone on hunger strike to press for their release.

Some 223 inmates have joined the fast in jails in Colombo, Anuradhapura, Jaffna and Kandy.

Most have been imprisoned on suspicion of links with the defeated Tamil Tiger rebel group.

Tamil politicians are calling on the authorities to either release them, grant them bail or put them on trial.

They are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which allows the security forces to detain people for up to 18 months without bringing them before a court.

But some have been jailed since 1997.