Reportage – 2007

Australian Prime Minister meets the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama responding to queries moments after meeting the Australian Prime Minister John Howard at his Sydney office. [ click here for print size   2.5M ]

SYDNEY, Australia, 15 June 2007 — Australian Prime Minister John Howard finally finished checking his diary finding a space to meet with the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

Mr Howard met the Dalai Lama at his Sydney office late afternoon for about 30 minutes. In an attempt to keep the meeting a low key by the Prime Minister, a select few photographers and a cameraman were allowed in for a very brief moment to photograph and film the historical meeting.

Mr Howard had been checking his diary for more than a month before his office confirmed the meeting. China warned the meeting could damage relations between the two countries.

China regularly accusses the Dalai Lama as a 'splittist', and slams leaders for meeting him and allowing him to visit their country.

"Dalai Lama is not a simple religious figure, he is a political exile engaged in 'splittist' activities for a long time," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing on Tuesday according to reports.

Responding to questions from journalists after the meeting, the Dalai Lama said he briefed Mr Howard about the on-going dialogue between his envoys and the Chinese officials.

He also said that he requested for more Tibetans to be resettled in Australia so that Tibetans could practice their culture and spirituality.

There are over 500 Tibetans living in Australia, among which over 300 are based in Sydney.

The Dalai Lama is in Sydney on the final leg of his 11-day Australian tour until 16 June. He will then depart for New Zealand for a four-day tour.

He will meet the Sydneysider Tibetans on Saturday.