NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Five groups representing exiled Tibetans are planning a march from India into Tibet ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of a series of actions to try and embarrass China into ending its rule in the region.

Announcing the plans on Friday, they acknowledged it would be difficult and dangerous to try and get past the Chinese border guards posted between them and their goal.

They are also urging exiled Tibetans to join them in plans to disrupt the symbolic relay of the Olympic torch as it is carried through 20 cities on five continents.

"China is hoping to showcase itself as a global leader and forever silence any challenges to its rule in Tibet," Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, told reporters at a press conference in New Delhi.

"Wherever China takes this torch, Tibetans must take to the streets and take action."

China has ruled Tibet since Communist troops invaded the region in 1950.

Organisers plan to begin their march on March 10, the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising against Chinese rule led by the Dalai Lama, the now exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.

They will begin in Dharamsala in the Indian Himalayas, the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile, before travelling to Delhi.

They then plan to march to Lhasa, Tibet's capital.

Tibetans accuse China of using the Olympics as propaganda. In turn, they hope high-profile demonstrations will attract attention to their cause and embarrass China.

The five groups say they represent tens of thousands of members. They said they would not be seeking approval of the plan from the Dalai Lama, who has a more moderate position.

He is asking that Tibet be granted partial autonomy rather than complete independence, and has previously urged exiled Tibetans to avoid dramatic forms of protests such as hunger strikes. He said sacrificing more Tibetan lives was unlikely to make China yield to their demands.

China is accused of trampling on the rights of Tibetans who push for political and religious freedom. China says it has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to the region. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Simon Denyer and Alex Richardson)

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