Baton-wielding riot police Tuesday hauled Tibetan protesters into waiting buses after they tried to storm the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against Beijing's rule.

With Tibet flags painted on their cheeks and bodies, the activists, some of whom were bare-chested and wore black masks, shouted independence slogans and unfurled anti-China banners before being detained.

"We demand freedom from China, this is the only thing that we want," Kunga Gyaltsen, a 20-year-old Tibetan student activist told AFP, before being bussed off along with other protesters.

"We don't want to live under China. We want China out of Tibet now," shouted Gyaltsen, sporting a white T-shirt with the red, blue and yellow Tibetan flag printed on it.

At one stage, the protesters rushed towards the main gates of the heavily guarded embassy before being beaten back by security forces.

Nearly all of the crowd of some 100 demonstrators, including women activists, have been detained, police said.

When China's military pushed into Tibet in 1959, tens of thousands of people including their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India.

He later founded the government-in-exile in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala after being offered refuge by India.

His presence in the country has long been an irritant in Delhi's already prickly ties with Beijing.

The two countries share a long militarised border and skirmishes often erupt over territorial disputes.

A protest march was also staged in Dharamsala on Tuesday morning following a speech by Lobsang Sangay, the leader of Tibet's exiled government.

Nearly 5,000 Tibetan supporters turned out to listen to his speech which focused on the rights of the community.

In Nepal, which is also home to thousands of Tibetan exiles, activists sang songs and made offerings to a portrait of the Dalai Lama as part of their peaceful commemorations.

Tibetans in Kathmandu have traditionally marked the anniversary with protests but community members said no demonstrations would be held this year due to growing pressure from Nepalese authorities.

"I have protested several times before, (I have) even been arrested once, but this year we are only holding prayers," said a Tibetan housewife, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.

"How can we protest? They won't let us," she said, as dozens of policemen patrolled outside.