Dalai Lama, Havel sign declaration in support of dissidents worldwide

The Dalai Lama, ex-president Vaclav Havel and former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner have signed a declaration in support of dissidents worldwide. The Tibetan spiritual leader, who wound up a three day visit to Prague on Monday, expressed regret that economic interests often outweighed and overshadowed human rights issues in countries such as China, North Korea Iran or Syria. He said he felt it his moral responsibility to support freedom of speech and human rights and assist dissidents fighting to achieve these goals in countries around the world. The Tibetan spiritual leader was in Prague at the invitation of his good friend ex-president Vaclav Havel. He also met privately with Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, took part in a debate on human rights and presented a lecture on the search of happiness in an uncertain world.