In Sri Lanka, hundreds of minority Tamils staged a rally and public meeting in northern Jaffna town. They demand a federal constitution and to merge minority-dominated Northern and Eastern Provinces. The meeting was addressed by prominent Tamil leaders including Chief Minister of northern province C.V. Wigneswaran. Shops and transport services remained shut in Jaffna during the demonstration named Ezhuga Tamizh or 'Tamils Arise'. Organisers said, the rally aims to create awareness among the Tamils and to put pressure on the government in Colombo to expedite the implementation of the promises it made to the Tamils at the time of the Presidential and parliamentary elections held last year.<br/><br/>In a related development, over 20 minority Tamil political prisoners today began a hunger strike protesting against their detention. The prisoners have urged the government to release them without further delay or if their cases are being further prolonged, then it may be transferred to a court in the northern towns which are Tamil- dominated. Most of the prisoners were arrested during and soon after the country's 30 year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels which ended in May 2009. Most of them have been released but around 100 of them are still in prison demanding early release.