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Dalai Lama speaks to large audience in Auckland

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Sat, 05 Dec 2009 5:41p.m.

Dalai Lama addressed over 1000 people today at Auckland's Vector Arena

Dalai Lama addressed over 1000 people today at Auckland's Vector Arena

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama addressed over 1000 people today at Auckland's Vector Arena on the subject of "A Peaceful Mind".

In New Zealand at the invitation of the Tibetan Buddhist community, he will hold a teaching session at the same venue tomorrow.

Opposition leader Phil Goff held talks with the Dalai Lama yesterday after he arrived in the country.

But Prime Minister John Key chose not to meet the Dalai Lama on this visit, noting they had met before and there was no need for another. Mr Key denied being pressured by China not to meet the Dalai Lama, but said last month: "We would understand the way the Chinese would deal with these things, but on the other side of the coin that wasn't the over-riding factor."

China, which has occupied Tibet since 1959, objects to senior political leaders meeting the Dalai Lama, as he represents opposition to China's occupation of Tibet.

The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India after an abortive Tibetan uprising in 1959, nine years after Chinese troops marched into the Himalayan region.

NZPA
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Comments

05 Dec 2009 09:24p.m.

simon wrote:

The audience was actually 6000

05 Dec 2009 09:07p.m.

fish face wrote:

You are clearly mistaken :-)

05 Dec 2009 08:30p.m.

Q. wrote:

lol...occupied Tibet since 1959? The Dalai Lama title was conferred by the Qing emperor in 1653, I saw the original papers in Forbidden City museum... Succession to such title needed the approval of the emperor, who would send an envoy to confer the official title on each new candidate. Only then could the new Dalai assume his role.

05 Dec 2009 06:52p.m.

kathy wrote:

Interestng that Phil Goff met the Dalai Lama, yet Helen Clark refused to do so when she was the PM. Perhaps not too surprising that John Key didn't as he tells us that he did on a previous occasion - yet, I don't think his excuse is true enough. It really is a shame to treat the Dalai Lama like an unwelcome guest - China is our trading partner not our patron saint - or perhaps I'm mistaken.