Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd met the Dalai Lama in Canberra on Tuesday and a meeting with Prime Minister John Howard is scheduled for Friday in Sydney.

Meeting With John Howard Scheduled

Australia Tibet Council Chairman George Farley has thanked all ATC members and supporters who contacted their Members of Parliament prior to the Dalai Lama’s visit to Australia.

Until just a couple of weeks before the Dalai Lama’s arrival, it appeared possible that no major Australian political leaders would meet with him. However, following intense media speculation and demonstrations of widespread public support for the Tibetan leader (including capacity crowds at all public events), this situation has now reversed, with Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd meeting the Dalai Lama in Canberra on Tuesday and a meeting with Prime Minister John Howard scheduled for Friday in Sydney.

In addition, over 50 Federal Members of Parliament from all parties attended a highly successful reception for the Dalai Lama at Parliament House. George Farley, who also attended the reception, said: “The politicians were clearly all genuinely delighted to have an opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama and to listen to what he had to say about the need to settle the Tibetan situation and his Middle Way approach. However, I am sure that knowing they had the support of their constituents made it easier for them to follow their consciences and stand firm in the face of pressure from the Chinese government. Michael Danby (ALP) welcomed the Dalai Lama to Parliament House and Peter Slipper (Lib) closed the proceedings with a deeply moving thanks to the Dalai Lama.” Senators Bob Brown and Natasha Stott Despoja also spoke.

China has reacted angrily not only to the warm welcome the Dalai Lama has received, but to the fact that he was allowed into the country at all, warning that it may harm Australia-China relations.

However, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has rejected China’s threats. “China has a very different political system to Australia’s but I’d ask the Chinese to respect the way our culture and political system works. This is one of the world’s great liberal democracies and someone like the Dalai Lama will always be able to come to Australia.”

As Mr Rudd pointed out to media after his meeting with the Dalai Lama, this type of reaction from China is not new. “I think that’s a consistent reaction from Beijing wherever this happens around the world, whether it’s the Dalai [Lama] meeting with President Bush, President Clinton or Prime Minister Blair”.

“I’ve met the Dalai Lama as a major world religious figure, and our discussions centred on questions of religion and faith,” he said.

ATC had written to Mr Rudd asking him to talk to the Dalai Lama about what encouragement he could give to the People’s Republic of China to enter into serious negotiations about the future of Tibet. We had also asked him to discuss with the Dalai Lama how the period between now and the Beijing Olympics in August 2008 can be used to improve human rights throughout China, including in Tibet. It is not clear if these issues were touched on at the meeting.