Dalai Lama earns first Lantos award

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi awarded the first Lantos Human Rights Prize to the Dalai Lama, honoring the Tibetan spiritual leader's work to end injustice.

"The Dalai Lama is one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time," Pelosi said.

People are inspired by the Dalai Lama's messages of peace and nonviolence, the California Democrat said before presenting the award Tuesday, CNN reported.

The award is sponsored by the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, named after the late Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif. Lantos, who had been the only Holocaust survivor in Congress, died of cancer in February 2008.

The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of 6 million Tibetans, is in Washington this week for a conference and to meet with Undersecretary for Global Affairs Maria Otero, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

President Barack Obama will meet with the Dalai Lama after meeting next month with China's President Hu Jintao, officials said.

Asked whether the timing of Obama's visit with the Dalai Lama could be seen as favoring China, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday Tibetans know "(having) a strong relationship and a good dialogue with them (China) allows us to talk to them about the cares and concerns of the Tibetan people."

Gibbs said reports that a meeting between the two leaders was postponed were "simply inaccurate."

"It was our decision, and it was something that was mutually agreed upon," Gibbs said.