Eleven Burmese nationals were arrested today after protesting outside their homeland's embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the police said.

District police chief Mohamad Noor Masdar told AFP the men appeared to be pro-democracy activists and were shouting "Free Burma" at the embassy gate.

"We don't know what their motives are but any gathering of three or more people is illegal unless they have a permit," he said.

Malaysia police were investigating the protestors' immigration status and checking if the men possessed legal travel documents.

There are some 500,000 Burmese citizens in Malaysia as foreign workers, asylum seekers and refugees.