India is home to thousands of Tibetan exiles including the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader who has been based in the northern hill town of Dharamshala since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising.

The Tibetan Youth Congress, which organised the protests in Delhi, said it wanted to highlight China's "occupation and oppression" of Tibet, a mountain region that has seen regular violent unrest against the Beijing authorities.

"The conditions of Tibetans in Tibet and the situation of political prisoners have become extremely critical," the TYC said in a statement.

"History shows that occupation and oppression never lasts forever and until that day comes and to hasten the arrival of that day, we will keep our fight alive."

The TYC campaigns for complete independence for Tibet, in contrast to the Dalai Lama who favours autonomy for the region under Chinese rule.

However Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of inciting unrest and wanting to split up China by covertly pushing a pro-independence agenda for Tibet.

Decades of on-off negotiations between Tibetan exiles and the Chinese government have made no tangible progress.

The protesters, who said they would demonstrate against Wen's visit until the premier leaves India for Pakistan on Friday, waved flags and chanted as they marched through Delhi.

In March 2008, protests in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, against Chinese rule erupted into violence that spread to other areas of western China with Tibetan populations.

Tibet's government-in-exile said more than 200 Tibetans were killed in a subsequent Chinese crackdown.

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