Aussie Leaders Avoid Dalai Lama

Add as a preferred source on Google

Melbourne, June 11 (UNI) Even after being in Australia for almost a week now, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is still unsure of a meeting with Prime Minister John Howard or Opposition leader Kevin Rudd.

Dalai Lama, who has a sizeable following in Australia, has brushed off controversy surrounding no-show by the two prominent Australian political identities.

He said that Australian trade with the superpower China may be influencing the two politicians and other prominent persons from meeting him.

The storm over snubbing of Dalai Lama, observers feel, is likely to adversely affect the politicians standing in the election this year as it is being seen as another act of bowing down to the Chinese agenda.

The world's most populous country and one of largest economies, is being blamed of occupying Tibet and treating it as a part of greater China.

China is Australia's top trading partner and not many Australian leaders are ready to face the Chinese wrath for meeting Dalai Lama who went into exile to India in 1959.

The Opposition leader Kevin Rudd, a well-known Sinophile who can speak Chinese fluently, is believed to have mustered some political courage and agreed to share a cup of tea with the spiritual leader in capital Canberra today.

The Dalai supporters in Australia are now urging Kevin Rudd to use his extensive contacts in Beijing to help Tibet achieve autonomy from Chinese rule'.

It is highly unlikely that the Opposition leader would risk angering Beijing by touching upon such a controversial issue.

While the Opposition leader has agreed to share some time with Dalai Lama, the office of the Prime Minister, on the other hand, will not say whether John Howard will meet him or not.

The Prime Minister's office has also reportedly declined to comment on the campaign for Tibetan autonomy or complaints about human right abuses in Tibet.

Critics of Mr Howard are blaimg the Australian PM office for clearly toeing the Chinese line.

The unwritten Chinese diktat over snubbing the 14th Dalai Lama is not restricted to the high political offices in Australia.

The Mayor of the second largest Australian city of Melbourne, John So has also decided to not to have a word with the Tibetan spiritual leader or to attend a sold-out Dalai meeting at famed Rod Laver Arena.

Mr So, who is of Chinese origin himself, has come under heavy fire by the Melburnians for snubbing such an important personality as Dalai Lama.