(dpa) - The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, appealed Friday for non-violent protests during the Olympic torch relay.
While he condemned disturbances that have marred recent legs of the relay, the Dalai Lama said he and no one else has "the right to say, 'Shut up.'"
"It is the freedom of speech," the Nobel Peace Prize winner said at a press conference near Narita International Airport outside Tokyo.
The Dalai Lama was transiting through Japan on his way to the United States for what was called a two-week non-political visit.