Dalai Lama rushed to hospital

Tenzin Taklha said the 73-year-old Buddhist monk was taken to New Delhi's Apollo hospital from the northern hill town of Dharamshala after he suffered some "pain in his arm".

"His Holiness experienced some discomfort in his arm and so we came down here for a routine check-up to ensure that everything is okay and we are scheduled to go back to Dharamshala tomorrow," Taklha added.

"As soon as the routine check-up is over we will release more information."

The Dalai Lama was admitted to a New Delhi hospital for week in October last year for keyhole surgery to remove stones from his gallbladder.

A similar health-related episode last August forced him to cancel regular engagements and rush to a hospital in Mumbai.

The Buddhist monk has lived in exile in Dharamshala since he fled China in 1959 following a failed uprising against Beijing's rule.

Since his operation in October, he has returned to his hectic international itinerary campaigning for improved human rights in Tibet.

Beijing is against any foreign leaders meeting with the Dalai Lama, whom it accuses of seeking independence for Tibet -- a claim he denies, saying he wants meaningful autonomy for the Himalayan region.

Beijing has accused him of masterminding riots against Chinese rule in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and neighbouring areas with Tibetan populations in March in order to destabilise the country -- a claim he also denies.

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