China has a right to host the Games, Dalai Lama says

[GTF]

TOKYO: The Dalai Lama said Thursday that he supported Beijing's hosting of the Olympics, but he insisted that demonstrators had the right to voice their opinions during the torch relay as long as they refrained from violence.

During a stopover in Japan on his way to the United States, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that no one should try to silence demonstrators against Chinese rule in Tibet. At the same time, he struck a conciliatory tone toward Beijing, apparently distancing himself from calls in the West for a boycott of the Olympic opening ceremony in August.

"We are not anti-Chinese. Right from the beginning, we supported the Olympic Games," the Dalai Lama said at a news conference at Tokyo's international airport in Narita. Speaking of pro-Tibetan protestors, he said nobody "has the right to tell them to shut up."

He also faulted Beijing for suppressing anti-government unrest in Tibet last month, saying its use of violence was "an outdated method" that did not solve the underlying problems.

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