Dalai Lama Joins Other Religious Leaders on Twitter, ‘Tweets’ for a Better World

The Dalai Lama is the latest and most senior world religious leader to appear on the social networking site Twitter, reports the Times Online.

The 75-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, regarded by the Chinese government as a dangerous separatist, has so far steered clear of controversy in his tweets. One recent example referred to his appearance on the Larry King show in Los Angeles, when he tweeted: “Dalai Lama Says Loves China Despite ‘Suppression’.”

Other tweets link to webcasts on his official website where he talks about the life story of the Buddha.

Beijing will be noting whether he begins using Twitter in his campaign to win autonomy for his Himalayan homeland. He has been in exile from Tibet since 1959 when he fled after a rebellion against Chinese rule.

According to a report in the Asia Times, the Dalai Lama began tweeting soon after his meeting with President Obama at the White House. Twitter founder Evan Williams suggested it in person.

On February 22, Williams tweeted: “Met the Dalai Lama today in LA. Pitched him on using Twitter. He laughed.”

That day, the Dalai Lama appeared on Twitter with a “verified” account identifiable by the blue tick box next to his profile, and in the two weeks since then, he has gained 140,000 followers.

Other religious leaders on Twitter include the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu.