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Dalai Lama rules out armed struggle

Waging war for the cause of freedom can be justified but not in the case of Tibet's dream of autonomy from China, the Dalai Lama said at a US university on Friday.

During the first of a two-day visit to Stanford University in California, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader Tenzin Gyatso touched on topics ranging from television viewing to abortion, cloning and the idea of just wars.

The allied victory in World War II "saved Western civilization," and conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint, the 14th Dalai Lama said in answer to questions.

But he ruled out armed struggle for Tibet's grievances with the Chinese government.

"In the case of Tibet versus China, violence is almost like suicide," the Dalai Lama said. "If violence, then bloodshed. Bloodshed means more casualties among the Chinese and, again, more hatred."

"We must follow nonviolent principle so that later we can live happily," he said.

Fighting a war of independence with China would also take a vast arsenal that Tibet lacks, he added.

Tibet's cause enjoys growing support among the Chinese people, but not the government, the Dalai Lama said.

"There are some among us who say our neighbor only understands the language of violence," he said. "It is easy to say jihad, but actual implementation is very complicated, very hard, and too risky."

The Dalai Lama, 70, has lived in India since he fled from Chinese troops in 1959, basing his government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India.

The Dalai Lama said Tibet wants to keep its culture, language and spiritual customs autonomous from China but would benefit from close economic ties.

Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action.

If handled improperly, the situation in Iraq could go from "today, one [Osama] bin Laden, next few years 10 bin Ladens, then 100 bin Ladens," the Dalai Lama said.

While fielding questions, the Dalai Lama said that there were no clear right or wrong answers to controversial topics such as euthanasia, abortion or genetic cloning.

The issues should be looked at "holistically," with situations evaluated case by case, he said.

The Dalai Lama joked at times. A question about whether to cut television from people's lives prompted him to quip that "society would be more boring."
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