Dalai Lama slams Chinese censorship

The Dalai Lama on Thursday condemned media censorship in China, saying the Chinese people have a right to know the truth about happening in Tibet.

He made the remarks at a press conference in Bhopal, where he delivered a keynote address on human rights at the State assembly.

The Dalai Lama, who last month called on the United States and other countries to help his campaign for a free Tibet by promoting an open society in China, said censorship in the Chinese media is "immoral".

"1.3 billion Chinese people have every right to know the reality. So censorship and distorted information, these are immoral. Of course, censorship and distorted information cannot fool the rest of the world but it is fooling their own people...So China should have complete freedom on media and Chinese people have the ability to judge what is right and what is wrong. So people should know what's going on, what's reality," he added.

Speaking on the issue of democracy in China, he said the path to an open society would need to be taken gradually.

"I think, I always stress that democracy immediately in China is questionable and whether it will really be helpful or not. If the centralised authority collapses, then there could be a chaotic situation. That's in nobody's interest so gradual change is the best way," he added.