Dharamsala:
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Friday hailed imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo for being awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize and asked China to release him and other "prisoners of conscience", saying they had been put behind bars for exercising their freedom of expression.
The award is international community's recognition of the increasing voices among the Chinese people in "pushing China towards political, legal and constitutional reforms", the Dalai Lama said in a statement.
The Tibetan temporal head, himself a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, said that he has been "personally moved as well as encouraged by the efforts of hundreds of Chinese intellectuals and concerned citizens, including Liu Xiaobo in signing the Charter 08, which calls for democracy and freedom in China".
The Dalai Lama along with former Czech President Vaclav Havel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu had supported Liu Xiaobo's candidature for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
"I expressed my admiration in a public statement on December 12, 2008, two days after it was released while I was on a visit to Poland and I believe in the years ahead, future generations of Chinese will be able to enjoy the fruits of the efforts that the current Chinese citizens are making towards responsible governance", the Tibetan leader said.
He said the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's recent comments on freedom of speech being indispensable for any country and people's wish for democracy and freedom being irresistible are a reflection of the growing yearning for a more open China.
"Such reforms can only lead to a harmonious, stable and prosperous China, which can contribute greatly to a more peaceful world", he added.