SYDNEY (AFP): The Dalai Lama arrived in Australia Wednesday on the second leg of a five-country world tour which has brought protests from Beijing, but he will not be met by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, officials said.
Rudd is on a trip to Japan and Indonesia and his spokesman said he would not be back in time to meet the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard is also out of the country and the Dalai Lama will be met by Immigration Minister Chris Evans, who will be acting prime minister, and by Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
“This reflects the Dalai Lama’s status as an international religious leader and the significant domestic interest in the Dalai Lama’s visit, including from the Tibetan immigrant community in Australia,” a government spokesperson said.
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