Beijing Olympics 2008: India refuses permission to Tibetans protesting Beijing Olympics

Tibetan exiles on Thursday accused the Indian government of caving in to pressure from China by refusing to allow them to use an official stadium to stage a symbolic protest against the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

The activists have planned a series of protests against Chinese rule in Tibet and launched a campaign to have Tibetan representation at the Beijing Olympics despite China's insistence that Tibet is an integral part of China.

The Tibetans had planned a soccer match at New Delhi's biggest stadium that they said would have attracted thousands of refugees and protesters.

Indian officials refused them permission to play at the government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium "directly or indirectly due to pressure from the Chinese government," said B. Tsering, president of the Tibetan Women's Association.

"If China can force India, the biggest democratic nation, to compromise on its democratic values, then China's misuse of power is a real cause of concern for the global community," said Tsering.

A spokesman for India's foreign ministry declined to comment.

Tsering said that the organizers had found an alternative venue in New Delhi but she was unsure whether the Indian team would be allowed to participate.

"Everything is uncertain now," she said, although activists were "determined to hold this match."

China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially an independent state for most of that time. Chinese communist troops occupied Tibet in 1951 and Beijing continues to rule the region with a heavy hand.

India has been generally supportive of the Tibetan exiles after their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled there in 1959 after a failed uprising, settling in the northern town of Dharmsala.

However, India and China have attempted to strengthen their once-shaky ties in recent years as both Asian giants emerge as significant global powers.

Last year India banned several Tibetan protests during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao, saying they did not want to embarrass their guest.

Most Tibetans say China has attempted to destroy Tibetan Buddhist culture by flooding Tibet with China's ethnic Han majority.