Dalai Lama Prays for Peaceful End to Hong Kong Standoff

The Dalai Lama said he was praying Thursday for a peaceful resolution to the stand-off between pro-democracy demonstrators and security forces in Hong Kong but said the outcome was "very difficult" to predict.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who has lived in exile ever since Chinese forces crushed a failed uprising in his homeland in 1959, told Agence France-Presse he was closely watching the situation unfolding in downtown Hong Kong.

Asked about the chances of the pro-democracy movement prevailing in the former British colony, the Dalai Lama said: "Very difficult to say. Very difficult."

"I very seriously now watching the situation. Very, very complicated. Very difficult to say. Only my wish and prayer to be resolved peacefully, with mutual benefit.

"That's all I can do, pray," added the 79-year-old Nobel peace laureate, who has long been accused by Beijing of being separatist, although he insists that he merely wants more autonomy for Tibet.

His comments came as police were seen unloading boxes of tear gas and rubber bullets close to the Hong Kong government's besieged headquarters and authorities there urged demonstrators to disperse "as soon as possible."

The Dalai Lama, who is based in the northern India town of Dharamsala, did however have words of praise for China's new President Xi Jinping saying he was approaching problems "more realistically."