Dalai Lama Won't Be Welcomed at 10 Downing

The Dalai Lama arrived in Britain today for an 11-day visit, during which he will give lectures and meet with senior religious and political figures. Gordon Brown won acclaim at the height of the Olympic torch protests for agreeing to meet the Tibetan leader. But now, writes AFP, the PM is under fire for an element of protocol: the meeting will not take place at his residence of 10 Downing Street, but in a religious setting.

The prime minister and Tibetan leader will instead meet at Lambeth Palace, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Opposition politicians and many in the media are accusing Brown of kowtowing to the Chinese government, which was riled by the Dalai Lama's recent warm welcome in Germany and the US. Brown's two immediate predecessors both greeted the Dalai Lama at Number 10. (More Dalai Lama stories.)