New York  - Non-governmental organization Freedom House on Tuesday criticized US President Barack Obama for deferring to China by postponing a meeting with the Dalai Lama until after scheduled talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing in November.

The Dalai Lama was in Washington on Monday to meet with US congressional leaders and attend events organized by Tibetan supporters.

Freedom House said it was the first time since 1991 that the Tibetan Buddhist leader had not met the US president while he was in Washington.

"The doors of the White House should always be open to a globally revered advocate for peaceful efforts to secure fundamental human rights," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House executive director.

"It is hard to see how shunning the Dalai Lama will advance American interests," she said. "The Obama administration is presenting an unfortunate profile by putting human rights so conspicuously on the backburner in its relations with repressive regimes."

The Wall Street Journal criticized Obama in an editorial, writing that he found time to meet with Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who are heading authoritarian regimes.

"It's becoming clear that Mr Obama's definition of 'engagement' leaves plenty of room to meet with dictators, but less for those who challenge them," the Journal said. dpa