Gillard won't meet the Dalai Lama
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has confirmed she will not meet the Dalai Lama on his tour of Australia.
A spokesman for Ms Gillard says previous prime ministers have not met the Dalai Lama, and given the frequency of his trips to Australia, the current Government arrangements are appropriate.
The spokesman said a member of the Government would meet the Dalai Lama privately.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott confirmed last week he would meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader.
Greens Leader Bob Brown, who will also meet the Dalai Lama, has slammed the Prime Minister's decision.
He says that politics can be a spiritual "dead zone".
"[Politics] needs a good dose of long-sighted compassion and who better than Tibet's Nobel peace prize winner to provide it," he said.
"It should be happening. But here we have another Prime Minister kowtowing to the communist bosses in Beijing rather than standing up for this nation."
Senator Brown says he had been working hard to convince Ms Gillard to agree to the meeting.
"There will be a great feeling of pleasure around Australia if she takes 10 minutes off to do just that," he said.
"If it is good enough to meet the overseas boss of Xstrata, it is good enough for our Prime Minister to meet His Holiness, the Dalai Lama."
Members of Ms Gillard's own government and pro-Tibetan activists also urged her to agree to a meeting.
The Federal Labor MP for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby, says it is disappointing no senior Government figures will see the Dalai Lama.
"I think he's got an interesting story to tell, particularly at this time when there are very interesting developments in China following the events that are happening in similar societies in the Arab world," he said.
While neither Ms Gillard nor Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will meet the spiritual leader, several other MPs will.
Mr Danby says he hopes that sends a clear message to the Chinese government.
"I think that says that 80 MPs are sending a signal that we don't have to compromise our views on human rights, Australian sovereignty or the peaceful right of minorities to express themselves," he said.
The Dalai Lama says he is not disappointed the Prime Minister has decided not to meet him because he is focussing on promoting religious harmony on his trip.
He says the decision can be attributed to pressure from China.
