Yes. I'm not surprised that you heard such comments. First of all, as a Tibetan, I can tell you that your gesture has sent a very strong message of hope. Again, I think each time that you make such a gesture, you are actually contributing to the stability and the peace on the plight of Tibet. Hope. You are telling Tibetan people, “Don't resort to other methods; keep on the track, because there are people who still respect a non-violent approach. There are still a lot of decent people out there in the world who care about some of these issues of principle.”
At the end of the day, I can assure you that this has also sent a positive message to the Chinese. It is important for them to understand that it is more important for them to engage with the person who really has so much admiration and is loved and respected by so many millions of people than to send the message that says we'll close our eyes--do whatever you want to do in places like Tibet.
In conclusion, as a Tibetan, not as His Holiness's special envoy but as a Tibetan, I really want to say we felt a deep sense of gratitude. I have spoken with some Tibetans who have come out of Tibet. That is most important, because those of us who live in freedom have other ways of getting oxygen for our struggle. But Tibetans who live day and night under the Chinese brutal system need a bit of reassurance; they need a message of hope. And by awarding His Holiness this great honour, you have sent to the millions of people who live under Chinese communist rule a message of hope. I really wanted to thank you for that.