Dalai Lama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize
By Sheila Rule, Special To the New York Times
Oct. 6, 1989
Credit...The New York Times Archives
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''I very much appreciate that kind of recognition about my beliefs,'' he said. ''In fact, I always believed in love, compassion and a sense of universal respect. Every human being has that potential. My case is nothing special. I am a simple Buddhist monk - no more, no less.'' Interference Is Charged
The award follows the violent suppression of the Chinese democracy movement in June as well as the crushing of pro-independence demonstrations and imposition of martial law in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. Egil Aarvik, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the award was not politically motivated. But he said that events in the East had contributed to the decision to honor the Dalai Lama and that the selection could be interpreted as a signal of encouragement for the democracy movement.
Wang Guisheng, counselor at the Chinese Embassy here, told the Norwegian News Agency: ''It is interference in China's internal affairs. It has hurt the Chinese people's feelings. Tibet's affairs are wholly and purely China's own business. The Dalai Lama is not simply a religious leader but also a political figure'' who is seeking to ''divide the mother country and undermine national unity.''
Of the prizes provided in the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite, the Peace Prize is the only one that is awarded here instead of Stockholm. The five-member committee that awards the Peace Prize consists of Norwegian academics and politicians; the other prizes are awarded by Swedish groups.
The selection of the Tibetan leader, who was born Tenzin Gyatso and was only 5 years old when he was taken to Lhasa to be installed as the 14th Dalai Lama, resembled that of several other choices in recent years in seeming to reflect an attitude, expressed in the past by Mr. Aarvik, that world peace is more and more considered a matter of human rights. Political considerations have often been evident.
In 1983, the award went to Lech Walesa, the leader of the Solidarity movement in Poland, and the next year to Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu of South Africa, then a Bishop.
The award consists of a diploma and gold medal to be presented at a ceremony here on Dec. 10 and a cash prize of three million Swedish crowns, currently worth about $455,000.
''The Dalai Lama has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living and upon the concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature,'' the selection committee said.
See the article in its original context from
October 6, 1989, Section A, Page 6Buy Reprints
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The Dalai Lama, the exiled religious and political leader of Tibet, was named the 1989 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize today in recognition of his nonviolent campaign over nearly 40 years to end China's domination of his homeland.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the 54-year-old Tibetan Buddhist leader, who fled to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in which thousands of people were killed, was being recognized because he ''consistently has opposed the use of violence'' in his campaign.
Instead, the committee said, he has ''advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.''
Word of the selection reached the Dalai Lama in Newport Beach, Calif., where he was attending a conference to explore approaches to psychological well-being and spirituality.
The Dalai Lama, the exiled religious and political leader of Tibet, was named the 1989 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize today in recognition of his nonviolent campaign over nearly 40 years to end China's domination of his homeland.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the 54-year-old Tibetan Buddhist leader, who fled to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in which thousands of people were killed, was being recognized because he ''consistently has opposed the use of violence'' in his campaign.
Instead, the committee said, he has ''advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.''
Word of the selection reached the Dalai Lama in Newport Beach, Calif., where he was attending a conference to explore approaches to psychological well-being and spirituality.
''I very much appreciate that kind of recognition about my beliefs,'' he said. ''In fact, I always believed in love, compassion and a sense of universal respect. Every human being has that potential. My case is nothing special. I am a simple Buddhist monk - no more, no less.'' Interference Is Charged
The award follows the violent suppression of the Chinese democracy movement in June as well as the crushing of pro-independence demonstrations and imposition of martial law in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. Egil Aarvik, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the award was not politically motivated. But he said that events in the East had contributed to the decision to honor the Dalai Lama and that the selection could be interpreted as a signal of encouragement for the democracy movement.
Wang Guisheng, counselor at the Chinese Embassy here, told the Norwegian News Agency: ''It is interference in China's internal affairs. It has hurt the Chinese people's feelings. Tibet's affairs are wholly and purely China's own business. The Dalai Lama is not simply a religious leader but also a political figure'' who is seeking to ''divide the mother country and undermine national unity.''
Of the prizes provided in the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite, the Peace Prize is the only one that is awarded here instead of Stockholm. The five-member committee that awards the Peace Prize consists of Norwegian academics and politicians; the other prizes are awarded by Swedish groups.
The selection of the Tibetan leader, who was born Tenzin Gyatso and was only 5 years old when he was taken to Lhasa to be installed as the 14th Dalai Lama, resembled that of several other choices in recent years in seeming to reflect an attitude, expressed in the past by Mr. Aarvik, that world peace is more and more considered a matter of human rights. Political considerations have often been evident.
In 1983, the award went to Lech Walesa, the leader of the Solidarity movement in Poland, and the next year to Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu of South Africa, then a Bishop.
The award consists of a diploma and gold medal to be presented at a ceremony here on Dec. 10 and a cash prize of three million Swedish crowns, currently worth about $455,000.
''The Dalai Lama has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living and upon the concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature,'' the selection committee said.
A Spotlight on the Struggle
Diplomats say that Tibetan exiles expect the award to return their struggle to international prominence but that it could also be an irritant in relations between India and China. They say that the Dalai Lama's presence in India and the support extended to him there have caused resentment in Beijing in the past and that the Indian Government's statement today on the Nobel committee's selection was carefully worded to avoid offending China.
The statement, which did not mention Tibet, praised the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader and proponent of peace but stressed that his sanctuary in the Himalayan foothills was for spiritual and not political purposes. Technically, the Dalai Lama is required to abstain from political activity in India but in practice he is largely free to do and say what he likes.
After the Communists gained power in China, they entered the isolated mountain kingdom of Tibet in 1950 and overthrew the Buddhist theocracy. The Dalai Lama tried to preserve the religious and cultural heritage of Tibet and its social structure.
As Chinese infringements of established Tibetan rights grew ever more brutal and were increasingly directed against monks and monasteries, he struggled to play the role of mediator. But after a large-scale uprising erupted, he and 100,000 Tibetans fled to India, where they were given political asylum. He settled in the northern town of Dharmsala in the Himalayas and formed a government in exile.
The Tibetan leader, who has reportedly been nominated for the prize for the last three years, was selected from among 101 nominations this year: 76 individuals and 25 organizations.
Many students of the prize had predicted that two prominent Czechoslovak dissidents - Vaclav Havel, the playwright, and Jiri Hajek, a former Foreign Minister - would win the award. Other candidates often mentioned were Nelson Mandela, the jailed South African nationalist, and former President Ronald Reagan and President Mikhail S. Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, who were nominated for concluding a nuclear arms treaty and improving East-West relationships.
Diplomats say that Tibetan exiles expect the award to return their struggle to international prominence but that it could also be an irritant in relations between India and China. They say that the Dalai Lama's presence in India and the support extended to him there have caused resentment in Beijing in the past and that the Indian Government's statement today on the Nobel committee's selection was carefully worded to avoid offending China.
The statement, which did not mention Tibet, praised the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader and proponent of peace but stressed that his sanctuary in the Himalayan foothills was for spiritual and not political purposes. Technically, the Dalai Lama is required to abstain from political activity in India but in practice he is largely free to do and say what he likes.
After the Communists gained power in China, they entered the isolated mountain kingdom of Tibet in 1950 and overthrew the Buddhist theocracy. The Dalai Lama tried to preserve the religious and cultural heritage of Tibet and its social structure.
As Chinese infringements of established Tibetan rights grew ever more brutal and were increasingly directed against monks and monasteries, he struggled to play the role of mediator. But after a large-scale uprising erupted, he and 100,000 Tibetans fled to India, where they were given political asylum. He settled in the northern town of Dharmsala in the Himalayas and formed a government in exile.
The Tibetan leader, who has reportedly been nominated for the prize for the last three years, was selected from among 101 nominations this year: 76 individuals and 25 organizations.
Many students of the prize had predicted that two prominent Czechoslovak dissidents - Vaclav Havel, the playwright, and Jiri Hajek, a former Foreign Minister - would win the award. Other candidates often mentioned were Nelson Mandela, the jailed South African nationalist, and former President Ronald Reagan and President Mikhail S. Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, who were nominated for concluding a nuclear arms treaty and improving East-West relationships.
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Tibetan Exiles Jubilant NEW DELHI, Oct. 5 - For more than 100,000 exiled Tibetans in India, the largest Tibetan refugee population in the world, today was a day of unbounded joy.
Tashi Wandgi, spokesman for the Dalai Lama in exile, said tonight, ''This brings an important recognition to the Dalai Lama's contribution toward promoting international understanding.''
Three days of prayer and celebrations will begin at dawn on Friday, in refugee camps here in the Indian capital and in exile communities around Dharmsala, the Dalai Lama's Indian home, and in Darjeeling and around Leh in Ladakh - Himalayan regions as close in topography and spirit to their dramatic mountain homeland as the Tibetans could find.
A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 6, 1989, Section A, Page 6 of the National edition with the headline: Dalai Lama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Tashi Wandgi, spokesman for the Dalai Lama in exile, said tonight, ''This brings an important recognition to the Dalai Lama's contribution toward promoting international understanding.''
Three days of prayer and celebrations will begin at dawn on Friday, in refugee camps here in the Indian capital and in exile communities around Dharmsala, the Dalai Lama's Indian home, and in Darjeeling and around Leh in Ladakh - Himalayan regions as close in topography and spirit to their dramatic mountain homeland as the Tibetans could find.
A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 6, 1989, Section A, Page 6 of the National edition with the headline: Dalai Lama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
