The Dalai Lama has threatened to resign as leader of Tibet's exiled government if violence in his homeland spirals out of control.
The Nobel Peace laureate made the comment Sunday at a news conference in Seattle, in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington, where he has been attending a five-day "Seeds of Compassion" conference.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader denied Chinese claims that he has called for Tibet to split from China and that he is behind the recent turmoil. The Dalai Lama said the whole world knows that he is seeking autonomy for the region.
Also Sunday, the Chinese media accused the Dalai Lama of encouraging violence in a drive for Tibet's independence.
The Dalai Lama said Saturday the idea that he has "militant power" is "nonsense."