Dalai Lama baulks at Sharon Stone's 'karma' quake remark

SYDNEY (AFP) — The Dalai Lama distanced himself Thursday from Hollywood star Sharon Stone's controversial comment that China's earthquake was bad "karma" for its handling of Tibet.

Stone cited the Tibetan spiritual leader as her "good friend" when she made the remark at the Cannes film festival last month.

Confirming "yes, I've met that lady", the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Sydney he did not share her viewpoint on the May 12 quake that killed nearly 70,000 people.

"Of course from a Buddhist viewpoint, every event is karma," the 72-year-old monk said.

"Tragedy in Tibet, tragedy in Burma (Myanmar), tragedy in China, all this is karmic ... but her particular sort of comment -- that I don't know."

Stone has apologised for the remark, which sparked outrage in China and prompted Christian Dior to drop her from its advertisements in the country.

On May 12, a massive earthquake struck China's southwest Sichuan province, leaving nearly 88,000 people dead or missing.

The tragedy occurred after Tibet was rocked by unrest in March, when the Dalai Lama's aides estimate 203 people were killed in protests against Chinese rule and a subsequent crackdown in the region.

China says it killed no one and that "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.