COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s government pledged Thursday to quickly process hundreds of ethnic Tamils who have been detained without charges for years on suspicion of links to former Tamil Tiger rebels.

Relatives and activists protested on Wednesday at Colombo’s main train station to demand the prisoners’ immediate freedom. Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said the government will soon release those without chargeable offences and bring charges against the others.

Relatives and civil rights activists say about 300 ethnic Tamils have been detained for years under powerful anti-terrorism laws.