Australian leaders snub Dalai Lama (Roundup)

Sydney - Australian leaders are unlikely to meet exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama when he visits next month for fear of offending China, officials said Wednesday. Greens leader Bob Brown described the decision as 'outrageous' and urged Prime Minister John Howard and opposition Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd to reconsider. 'What is the problem that the more powerful the political leader in Australia, the weaker they become before the dictates of Beijing? Well, it's trade and money,' said Brown. The decision is a particular embarrassment for Rudd, the Mandarin-speaking former foreign affairs spokesman who became Labor leader in December. When the Dalai Lama visited Australia in 2002 Rudd castigated Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for refusing to meet him. Howard, who said he had defied China and met the Dalai Lama in Australia 10 years ago, called Rudd hypocritical. 'It's true that my opponent did have something rather savage to say about Alexander Downer being gutless about meeting the Dalai a few years ago,' Howard said. 'Well, that's sort of come back. Well, that happens in politics, doesn't it.' © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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