Dalai Lama catches up with Rudd

By Samantha Maiden
June 12, 2007 07:56pm

THE Dalai Lama is perplexed why Australians are so bothered about whether or not he meets Prime Minister John Howard.

The exiled Tibetan religious leader was warmly greeted as he travelled around the national capital today, the second last stop on his 11-day tour of Australia, spreading a message of peace and harmony.

He received a rare standing ovation at the National Press Club – before even speaking a word – and 4000 people packed a sports arena to hear his words of wisdom during an interfaith dialogue.

Yet there was only one issue on most minds – and that was whether he would be meeting Mr Howard.

After more than a month of checking his diary, Mr Howard's office today finally confirmed he was likely to meet the revered religious leader.

"I think their paths will cross at some stage," a spokesman said.

The Dalai Lama could not understand why it was of such interest.

"In the last few days ... the possible meeting with the Prime Minister, every news item always mentions that, in my mind it's not that serious but their mind it seems very, very serious," an amused Dalai Lama told the National Press Club.

"For my part, there is no particular agenda to discuss with the Prime Minister, so if I happen to have the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister, I can consider him an old friend because once I met (him)," the Dalai Lama told the National Press Club.

"I will be happy (if I can meet Mr Howard) but if not, it doesn't matter."

The Dalai Lama this afternoon met another "old friend", Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd.

He met Mr Rudd, then opposition foreign affairs spokesman, five years ago, but the Labor leader had initially been reluctant to meet the monk this time around.

Both Mr Howard and Mr Rudd have been more than a little wary of a meeting the Dalai Lama, mindful of the potential to anger China – Australia's biggest trading partner – which last month warned foreign officials against meeting the Buddhist figure.

The Dalai Lama believes friends like Australia should be telling China home truths to help smooth its transition into the mainstream of the world community.

"While you are making good relations, genuine friendship with China, there are certain principles such as human rights and also democracy, rule of law, free press, these things you should stand firm," he said.

"So that means you are a true friend of China.

"(But if) whatever, they've done, you say: `Oh good, good, wonderful, wonderful,' then (the) Chinese themselves eventually lose their faith."

In a wide ranging speech, the Dalai Lama added his voice to the climate change debate, pressing the need for people to stop exploiting the globe's natural resources.

And he spoke of his admiration for European nations which had united for a greater good, jokingly speculating about the prospect of a union one day between Australia and New Zealand.

"I am wondering one day (whether) New Zealand and (Australia) will be united as a nation," the Dalai Lama said.

But he suggested there may be issues Australia needed to address first – such as indigenous rights.

"Indigenous people are the original owner of the land," the Dalai Lama said.

"In New Zealand, the Maoris enjoy, I think, more equal status."

News Limited

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China warns Australia after Howard agrees to meet Dalai Lama

Beijing - China warned Australia on Tuesday that the Dalai Lama's visit there could harm bilateral ties, shortly after Australian Prime Minister John Howard agreed to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.

"We have expressed our strong dissatisfaction and staunch opposition to the Australian side for allowing the Dalai Lama to Australia to engage in splittist activities," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told journalists.

Qin was responding to questions about the announcement from Howard's office on Tuesday that the prime minister had finally decided to meet the Dalai Lama, who is on a 10-day tour of Australia.

"The Dalai Lama is not a simple religious figure. He is a long-time political exile engaged in splittist activities and destroying national unity," Qin said.

"We hope that the Australian government can deeply recognise this and proceed from the overall interests of maintaining healthy Sino-Australian relations and not allow the Dalai Lama to engage in splittist activities."

The 71-year-old Dalai Lama has led a Tibetan government-in-exile in India since 1959. Chinese troops took over the Himalayan region in 1950.

China has bristled for years at the Dalai Lama's enormous international following. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent approach to handling relations with China.

Beijing has refused to allow him to return to Tibet, where he remains revered as Tibetan Buddhism's highest spiritual authority.

Howard and opposition Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd initially said they would not meet the Dalai Lama during his visit to Australia, which began last week.

But following accusations of kowtowing to China, they both said they would check their diaries to see whether they had time to meet him.

Rudd, a Putonghua-speaking former diplomat in China, soon after announced that he would meet the Dalai Lama, but until Tuesday Howard was said to be still "checking his diary."

Agence France Presse