The International Olympic Comm-ittee (IOC) has rejected an attempt by Tibet to field its own team at next year's Beijing Olympics.
More than 100 Tibet supporters -- including some Buddhist monks -- waved banners and Tibetan flags outside the IOC headquarters yesterday, as delegates from the unofficial Tibetan National Olympic Committee met with the organization's officials to discuss the request.
"The IOC is not in a position to accept our application," said Wangpo Tethong, a president of the Tibetan group.
A senior IOC official who took part in the meeting said a rule change in 1996 meant only national committees from countries recognized by the international community can take part in the Olympics.
However, the IOC has granted a special exemption to the Palestinian territories.
Taiwan competes as "Chinese Taipei" because its national committee was recognized before 1996, said Michel Filliau, who directs the IOC's relations with national committees.
Beijing dismissed outright the request from Tibet, which has been controlled by China since 1951.
"Tibet is part of China's territory," the Beijing organizing committee said yesterday in a statement. "The possibility of participating in the Beijing Olympics as a separate group does not exist."
Tibet is one of several delicate issues that Olympic officials are having to deal with in the run-up to next year's games.
Worries over Beijing's high air pollution, reporting restrictions for foreign journalists and criticism of China's human rights record have also forced the IOC to engage in diplomacy ahead of the Olympics.
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