May 24, 2002	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11,1423

SYDNEY, May 23: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama says he is not disappointed by the decision taken by Australian leaders, Prime Minister John Howard and opposition leader Simon Crean, not to meet him as he is more interested in meeting the general public than political leaders.

The Dalai Lama is currently in Australia on a nine-day tour and has attracted a 20,000-strong crowd at his first public appearance in Melbourne last Sunday. He will also visit Canberra and Sydney.

In an interview, aired on Wednesday, he said he has no political agenda and he is in Australia to promote human values and religious harmony.

Prime Minister John Howard, who is in China on an official tour, denied that fear of China’s anger was the reason for ignoring the guest.

He said the Dalai Lama is recognized by Australia as a spiritual leader, but he “did not have to meet every spiritual leader who visited Australia”.

The no-meeting policy contrasts sharply with the Dalai Lama’s last visit to Australia in 1996, when he met then prime minister John Howard and foreign minister Alexander Downer.

Although Canberra had said that no official meeting was planned with the Dalai Lama, a late announcement on Tuesday said that senior officials would meet the Tibetan leader.