Hsiaolin, Taiwan - The Dalai Lama started the first full-day of his visit Taiwan Monday by praying for about 500 victims buried alive by a mudslide in the southern mountain village of Hsiaolin in Kaohsiung.

The Dalai Lama, who arrived Sunday for a five-day visit, also praised Taiwan's democracy despite anger from China, which saw his visit as a move to seek support from the Taiwanese pro-independence camp for the cause of Tibetan independence.

"I am here to pray for the people who died here," said the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader shortly after he and a group of Tibetan monks chanted sutra to pray for the deceased in Hsiaolin village.

Close to 700 people were killed when Typhoon Morakot slammed into Taiwan in early August, triggering flash floods inundating thousands of houses in southern and eastern Taiwan, and causing slides of mud and rockslides that killed many residents in mountain villages. Hsiaolin was hit hardest with more than 460 people buried alive by a mudslide.

Last Wednesday, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), announced that she and six other local city and county government leaders in southern Taiwan had invited the Dalai Lama to visit to comfort the survivors and pray for the deceased.

The government of China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou, 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.

The Tibetan spiritual leader Monday stressed that his Taiwan visit had nothing to do with politics or seeking to promote Tibetan independence.

"It is not political, strictly humanitarian," he said. "As far as Tibetan independence is concerned, they are not seeking separation," he stressed, referring to China's claim that he was pursuing an independent Tibet, though the Dalai Lama has time and again said he only wanted to promote fuller autonomy in Tibet.

He said it is up to Taiwanese people to decide their own future, and he praised the hard-won democracy on the island and asked the locals to preserve it.

Asked whether he would meet Taiwanese politicians, including President Ma, the Dalai Lama said: "I don't want to create any inconvenience to anybody."

The Dalai Lama's trip is due to end on Friday morning. (dpa)