Dalai Lama Meets New Zealand FM, Visits Parliament

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is in NewNational Party and the Green Party. He fled Tibet in
Zealand, where he met Tuesday with Foreign Minister1959 after Chinese troops suppressed an uprising. He
Winston Peters and visited the country's parliament.now lives in exile in India.
But the 71-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, whoLast week, the Dalai Lama visited Australia, where he
arrived Monday in the capital, Wellington, met withmet with Prime Minister John Howard and opposition
Peters in his capacity as New Zealand First partyleader Kevin Rudd.
leader rather than as foreign minister.His visit has drawn criticism from Beijing, but Canberra
Prime Minister Helen Clark has ruled out a formalsaid the exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhism is a
meeting with the Dalai Lama, after meeting him lastsignificant religious figure who is welcome to visit
week at an airport in Australia.Australia any time.
Her decision sparked sharp criticism from theThe Dalai Lama said his tour of Australia was meant
opposition, which accused the government of tiptoeingto promote human values and religious harmony.
around Chinese opposition. Beijing regards the BuddhistSome information for this report provided by AFP and
leader as a separatist.AP.
The Dalai Lama also met members of the opposition