Tibet's government-in-exile backs Liu

Celebrating the 21st anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, it expressed happiness that Liu has been chosen for the coveted award this year. "Since the values and aspirations of all the Nobel laureates are well known around the world, keeping a few individuals in prison cannot lock up their thoughts, principles and aspirations," it said in a statement.

Liu, a writer and former university professor, was at the forefront of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. He was jailed in December 2009 for 11 years on subversion charges after he called for political reforms in China.

The Tibetan government-in-exile said the Dalai Lama had showed that all global conflicts can be solved through non-violence and described the Nobel prize as an outstanding recognition of the Tibetan struggle for justice.

"If the Tibetan people in and outside Tibet can reaffirm their genuine pledge for the non-violent path based on trust and understanding,  then this occasion will constitute a meaningful celebration," the statement said.

Referring to the Dalai Lama's recent announcement that he will retire next year from his role as the leader of the Tibetan government in exile, it appealed to him to "remain as ever the religious and temporal leader of Tibet".

The Dalai Lama, who addressed a seminar in Lucknow on Friday, emphasised the need to spread the light of education.

The 75-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said that the majority of the problems faced by humankind today are because of ignorance and lack of education and they could be overcome only by spreading education.

"All the problems do not have their roots in illwill as a majority of them take shape due to ignorance and lack of education," the spiritual leader said, adding that they can be overcome by education as has been preached by the Gautam Buddha.

 On the growing intolerance in today's world, he said, "All the religions basically give one message which is to remove problems of people and provide them happiness."