By Phurbu Thinley

Dharamsala, March 9: Indian police Tuesday arrested several pro-independence Tibetan activists after they staged protests and tried to swarm the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

The protest, organised by Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest
non-governmental organisation in the exile Tibetan Tibetans community, came on the eve of the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day.

The organisations's president Mr Tsewang Rigzin, who is currently in Delhi to coordinate the protest, said 32 protesters staged a vigorous protest in front of the Chinese embassy this morning before being arrested by the police.

Tsewang also said several of the protesters also chained themselves around the poles and trees in front of the embassy.

The protesters shouted slogans and tossed in air printed slogans,reading "Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama", "China out of Tibet" and "Independence for Tibet," Rigzin told Phayul over the phone.

They were later taken into custody.

"We strongly condemn the continuing brutal oppression of innocent Tibetans inside Tibet by China with death sentences, life imprisonment and arbitrary arrests and demand China to immediately release all innocent Tibetans," Rigzin said in a statement released by the organisation today.

"The historic and peaceful uprising beginning on March 10th 2008 in Tibet will forever remain an inspiration for generations and we will continue to challenge the illegal Communist Chinese regime in Tibet until we regain Tibet's
Independence," he added.

Penpa Tsering, the organisation's International Relations Secretary, and members of TYC regional chapters from Shimla, Herbertpur, Paonta Sahib, Puruwala, Dharamsala, Rohini and Samyeling Delhi took part in the protest, the statement said.

"China continues to unleash unimaginable suffering and destruction to the land and people of Tibet. Even today, Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear under the radar of plain clothes police officers, army personnel and snipers on rooftop of monasteries," Rigzin said.

In the statement, the Tibetan Youth Congress also condemned the Chinese communist authorities' arrest drive being carried out in Tibet under the recently launched "strike hard" campaign.

China last week announced the re-launch of the campaign drive to quell any signs of unrest ahead of the Tibetan Tibetan National Uprising Day to be marked on Wednesday.