SYDNEY May 17 Kyodo The Tibetan s...

SYDNEY May 17 Kyodo

The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will arrive in Australia this weekend amid discussion over whether the government has caved in to Chinese hurry to marginalize the visit.

Conservative Prime Minister John Howard confirmed Friday that he would not adapted the Dalai Lama and instead will be traveling to East Timor onward Sunday for its independence celebrations and then to China to examine and win support for the sale of Australian liquefied gas.

Speaking to local radio in Sydney he set asideed suggestions he had avoided meeting the Dalai Lama during his visit to Australia because of China sensitivities.

He said that while Chinese officials are obviously sensitive about anybody meeting the Dalai Lama, ''if we were conducted by that then I wouldn't have met him last time.''

Howard met with the Dalai Lama during his 1996 visit here.

Organizers of the nine-day visit have confirmed that no member of the Howard management would meet with the Dalai Lama.

However, the Dalai Lama plans to come up to face to face with major opposition Labor party envoy leader Jenny Macklin, Victoria state premier Steve Bracks and Australian undecayeds Party Sen. Bob Brown.

polemics has raged over the Dalai Lama's visit since February when an application for him to speak at Parliament House in Canberra was cast awayed by the government after being believeed inappropriate because Australia does not recognize Tibet, in accordance with its one-China policy.

in succession Wednesday, Queensland Museum canceled tentative plans to landlord a traveling exhibition about Tibetan human rights, amid accusations that it caved in to urgency from Beijing.

This followed Monday's removal of the same exhibition from the recently made known South Wales (NSW) state parliament house on organizers.

Concern athwart the Dalai Lama's visit was exacerbated during the March visit to Australia by the agency of Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan who warned Australian control officials against meeting the Dalai Lama.

He said at the time that China was ''firmly oppos to any official figure, including those from political parties and disposes inviting or meeting with the Dalai Lama in any name or in any form.''

Political lobbyists at the Australia Tibet Council claim Howard's failure to convenient the Dalai Lama is indicative of the guidance preference to put its trading relationship with China before matters over human rights abuses.

Australia Tibet Council campaign coordinator Julie Smith told Kyodo recents that in 1997, when Australia established a bilateral dialogue with China, it ceased all criticism of that country

''Since that period, Australia has become les willing to advance head to head above human rights issues and trade matters have prevailed,'' she said.

The Dalai Lama arrives in Australia onward Saturday evening and will visit Melbourne, Sydney Geelong and Canberra before departing May 27 for novel Zealand, where he will confront acting New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Anderton and Foreign Minister Phil Goff

Australian visit organizers estimate at least 70000 commonalty will attend functions with the Dalai Lama during his stay here.

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