11:59am UK, Wednesday October 05, 2005

The winner of the fourth annual Miss Tibet title had the tiara in the bag - because every other contestant pulled out.

The competition was thrown into turmoil when all but one of the women walked out.

180 Miss Tibet 2002 Dolma Tsering

Former Miss Tibet Dolma Tsering

Organisers have found it difficult to run the pageant in the face of strong opposition from Buddhist monks.

Many consider that beauty competitions in which the contestants wear bathing suits violate their culture.

Lobsang Wangyal, one of the organisers, insisted the gala will still go ahead at the end of this week and said he confident about the future of such contests in Tibet.

According to The Independent, he said: "A time will come soon when the conservative Tibetan society will break out of its traditional shackles and accept such shows with open arms."

He added that the name of the "lone brave contestant" will be kept under wraps until the gala, to be held in the Indian Himalayan resort of Dharamsala, the home of many exiled Tibetans leaders.

The winner will receive a tiara and a cheque for £1,290.