Dalai Lama offers prayers for devastated Japan
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DHARAMSHALA (India) - TIBETAN spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Saturday voiced 'sadness' over a massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and said he would pray for the victims.
'The Dalai Lama expressed his shock and sadness on hearing the news of yesterday's earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan,' his office said in a statement posted on his official website www.dalailama.com
The spiritual leader's reaction came as the Japanese government said it believed more than 1,000 people had been killed by Friday's 8.9-magnitude temblor and tsunami which devastated swathes of Japan.
The Dalai Lama, who has a huge following among Japan's Buddhists, in a message to Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan said he was 'grateful' for the country's high preparedness which prevented an even larger loss of life. 
'We must all be grateful that the Japanese government's disaster preparedness measures prevented the death and destruction from being much worse,' the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner said.
The 75-year-old Dalai Lama, who is a frequent visitor to Japan, fled his homeland in 1959 following a failed anti-Chinese uprising and set up base in the northern Indian hilltop town of Dharamshala. -- AFP
Source : straitstimes.com
