Obama postpones meeting with Dalai Lama

Washington, Oct 6: President Barack Obama will not meet Dalai Lama during his five-day visit to the US capital, a official said here on Tuesday, Oct 6.

After 18 years, the exiled Tibetan leader visited Washington on Monday, Oct 5.

According to officials, Obama instead intends to wait until after his Nov summit with Chinese leader Hu Jintao before meeting the Dalai Lama, possibly sometime in Dec 2009.

The decision to break precedent and delay any meeting was conveyed to the Dalai Lama last month when Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and State Department Undersecretary Maria Otero travelled to Dharamsala, India, to explain the administration's approach on Tibet.

Kate Saunders, a spokeswoman for the Tibetan Buddhist leader said, "The administration, I think, is aware it is breaking a precedent ... but clearly they have their reasons for that and he (the Dalai Lama) agreed with the decision that was made."

Saunders said the Dalai Lama and the Obama administration had agreed to a meeting after the U.S.-Chinese summit.

The Washington Post reported that the Obama administration, in an effort to gain favor with China, put pressure on Tibetan representatives to postpone a meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama until after the summit.

OneIndia News