The Dalai Lama was invited by Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu of the DPP to visit Taiwan to comfort survivors and pray for the deceased.

The China-friendly Ma government, whose image was seriously tarnished by its poor performance in tackling the disaster, was forced to declare it would allow the Dalai Lama to visit in a bid to save its sagging popularity.

But Beijing resolutely opposed the Dalai Lama's Taiwan visit, seeing it as an attempt to join Taiwan independence activists to promote separation from China.

It has warned the Ma government of 'negative influence' on gradually warming cross-strait relations and has postponed several high-level exchange activities, including a visit by Chinese banking officials.

In a bid to soothe Beijing, the Ma government and the ruling Nationalist Party have refrained from sending top officials to meet the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama himself said, however, that he does not want independence for Tibet but greater autonomy for the region within China. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed rebellion there against Chinese forces in 1959.

Meanwhile, in addition to the cool reception from the Ma government, the Dalai Lama has also been confronted by protestors since he arrived in Taiwan Sunday night.

On Tuesday, some 100 Buddhist monks and dozens of pro-China activists demonstrated outside the Dalai Lama's hotel.

Waving banners denouncing the Dalai Lama's visit, the protesting monks claimed the Dalai Lama was too political, lacking pure Buddhist nature and was therefore not welcome in Taiwan.

The pro-China activists who have staged protests against the 74-year-old Tibetan monk since Sunday, also joined the monks in scuffling with police when they attempted to force their way into the venue where the Dalai Lama was holding a prayer ceremony. The

protestors were later dispersed by police.