Dalai Lama meets exiled Tibetan protesters

By Jonathan Allen

DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama met leaders of exiled Tibetan protest groups at his base in northern India on Wednesday, as many activists criticise what they say is the spiritual leader's soft stance on China.

The Dalai Lama, who has questioned some of the tactics used by exiles such as marching to China's border, was trying to explain to protest leaders, many from a younger generation, his position to work for autonomy rather than independence for Tibet.

The meeting came a day after the Dalai Lama threatened to quit if violence in Tibet spiralled out of control.

"He explained to them about his feelings and that may be it's time to consider about the long term," a Dalai Lama spokesman, Chhime Chhoekyapa, told Reuters. "But whether they will listen to that is up to them."

The meeting lasted about 20 minutes. Protest leaders then left his residence for a meeting between themselves.

Several exile groups, such as the Tibetan Youth Congress, espouse tactics such as calling for a boycott the Olympic Games. The Dalai Lama supports the games, highlighting difference within Tibetan exiles' ranks on how to battle China.

China warned of a "life and death" struggle with the Dalai Lama on Wednesday, as it sought to end a wave of protests in its Tibetan regions with arrests and tightened political control. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has accused the Tibetan spiritual leader of masterminding the protests -- which culminated in a riot on Friday in Lhasa, Tibet's capital -- from Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama and the government-in-exile are based.

The Dalai Lama denies the charges.