Tokyo: Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama plans to make a stopover in Japan next week on his way to the United States, his Tokyo representative said today.

The Dalai Lama would spend several hours at Narita airport near Tokyo on April 10 before taking his connecting flight, but he did not have "a special errand to run," said Lhakpa Tshoko.

The Dalai Lama was unlikely to hold a press conference "although we can't totally rule out the possibility," the representative said, noting that the trip had been planned long before the recent unrest in Tibet.

According to some Japanese media, the Dalai Lama may be seeking opportunities in Japan to send out a message on China's crackdown on protests in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama is a frequent visitor to Japan, where he enjoys a wide public following. But unlike many of their Western counterparts, Japanese leaders have almost always refused to meet with the Nobel peace laureate.

Japan, which has uneasy ties with China due to wartime history, refused even to provide security for the Dalai Lama on his 10-day visit here last November.

China, which sent troops into Tibet in 1950,opposes the international travels of the Dalai Lama, accusing him of agitating for Tibetan independence.

Source : PTI