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Australia's Rudd told to get tough on Tibet

AAP

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd speaks during the Opening Ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum at the Cairns Convention Centre on 4 August 2009 in Cairns, Australia.File photo/Getty Images/Phil Walter/Australia

Kevin Rudd’s upcoming meeting with Li Keqiang, the man tipped to be China’s next premier, has sparked a renewed call for the Prime Minister to meet the Dalai Lama.

The Australia Tibet Council points out this will be one of numerous meetings Mr Rudd has held with top-level Chinese government leaders in his time as prime minister.

He’s had five one-on-one meetings with Chinese president Hu Jintao, but his scorecard with the Dalai Lama stands at zero.

Mr Rudd, who last met the Dalai Lama in 2007 while opposition leader, confirmed earlier this month he would not meet the spiritual leader when he visits Australia in December.

Mr Rudd was selling out Tibet and the human rights cause in an effort to boost flagging relations between Australia and China, the council’s executive officer Paul Bourke said in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Li’s visit comes shortly after China confirmed it had executed two Tibetans relating to protests in 2008, Mr Bourke said.

They were the first known executions to have been carried out in Tibet since 2003.

It was time Mr Rudd raised concerns about Tibet, if it was true his relationship with China was as mature and robust as he has made it out to be, Mr Bourke said.

Copyright © 2009 Australian Associated Press

Published in The Australian