Kathmandu- An international human rights organization Thursday criticised Nepal for arbitrarily arresting hundreds of Tibetans protesting against China and restricting their right to demonstrate.

The New York based Human Rights Watch said Nepal must respect people's rights to demonstrate freely and accused the police of using "excessive force and sexual assault of women during arrest."

"Nepal's government is turning the screws on peaceful Tibetans," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Nepalese authorities have made at least 8,350 arrests of Tibetans in four months, with very few being provided reasons for the arrests, Human Rights Watch said.

The rights body also said Nepal was blocking Tibetan demonstrations because of Chinese pressure.

"China has played an important role in the Nepali government's crackdown on Tibetan demonstrations," the rights body said. "The unusual number of statements from Nepali leaders reiterating the ban on "anti-China" activities suggests increasing pressure from Beijing."

Nepal has more than 20,000 Tibetans concentrated mainly in the Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara in western Nepal.

The figure does not include Tibetans who arrived in the country after 1990 because the Nepalese government stopped registering them as refugees.

There have been almost daily anti-China demonstrations by Tibetan exiles in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

The government has in the past denied allegations that it has been under pressure from China to stop Tibetan demonstrations.

The Nepalese government says it recognises Tibet as a part of China and will not tolerate any activities that may harm its relations with its northern neighbours. (dpa)