Kathmandu  - Nepalese police Saturday broke up anti-China demonstrations in the capital Kathmandu and detained more than 500 Tibetan exiles.

The new anti-China demonstrations came a day after three top Tibetan leaders in Nepal were sent to prison under the Public Security Act.

Tibetan refugees were arrested near the Chinese visa and consular section in central Kathmandu as they converged to march on the building.

Police in riot gear stopped the refugees 200 metres from the building and detained them after they tried to break the police lines.

"China leave our country! Down with Hu Jintao!" shouted demonstrators, including women, Buddhist nuns and monks, as they were dragged by the police unto waiting trucks to be driven off to detention centres.

Police officers at the protests said they had detained over 500 Tibetans but said the exact number would be clear only after a count later in the day.

On Friday, Nepalese police said they arrested three senior Tibetan leaders on charges of provoking anti-China activities in the country.

Nepalese media reports said those arrested included Kelsang Chung, the director of the Tibetan Refugee Reception centre.

The refugee centre helps newly arriving refugees with lodging and forward journeys into India.

Others were Ngawang Sangmo and Tashi Dolma, senior leaders of the Regional Tibetan Women's Association.

The Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted the police as saying the three were detained under the Public Security Act which allows the government to hold them in prison without trial for 90 days.

The arrests came after growing anti-China protests by the large Tibetan exile community in Kathmandu.

Nepal has already come under severe criticism of its handling of the protests.

Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch accused the Nepalese authorities of using excessive force to break up Tibetan demonstrations and of threatening to deport some of the refugee leaders.

The Nepalese government has said it recognises Tibet as an integral part of China and would not allow anti-Chinese activities. (dpa)