The 14th Dalai Lama, who wrapped up his 21st trip to Japan last week, attracted large audiences in many parts of the country as he discussed how to live and how to become happy with his humor and broad-mindedness.
In an interview with Kyodo News, he touched on political issues and called for a high degree of autonomy for areas inhabited by Tibetans, expressing hopes for dialogue with Chinese authorities to solve the Tibet issue. Beijing should stop dismissing him as a separatist and instead resume dialogue, as called for by the Tibetan spiritual leader, to attain long-term stability in those areas.
Chinese troops invaded Tibet in 1950, a year after the People's Republic of China was established. Increased resistance by Tibetan monks led to the Lhasa Uprising in 1959. The Dalai Lama fled to India and established the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala.