Dalai Lama Kissing Boy Video Statement
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, has issued an apology following the release of a video in which he was seen kissing a young child on the lips and asking the child to “suck my tongue”. The Dalai Lama kissing boy video, which was filmed in Dharamshala in February and subsequently went viral on social media, caused outrage and led to accusations of inappropriate behavior.
Dalai Lama Kissing Child Tongue Video
Dalai Lama Statement on Kissing Video
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 10, 2023
In a statement issued on Monday, the office for the Dalai Lama said that he “wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” adding that he “regrets” the incident. The statement went on to explain that the Dalai Lama often “teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras”.
The incident occurred at an event hosted by the M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Indian real estate company M3M Group. The identity of the child is not known.
Dalai Lama Controversy
The video sparked condemnation from child rights groups, with Delhi-based organization Haq: Center for Child Rights issuing a statement condemning “all forms of child abuse”. The statement also noted that while some news sources had suggested that the incident was related to Tibetan culture, “such cultural expressions are not acceptable”.
The Dalai Lama, who has been based in India since 1959, is the best-known living Buddhist figure in the world. He is revered by millions as the reincarnation of his 13 predecessors and has been a leading voice in the fight for Tibetan independence from China.
This is not the first time that the 87-year-old has courted controversy in recent years. In 2019, he suggested that Europe should be kept for Europeans, in response to the rising number of African refugees entering the continent.
Published by HOLR Magazine.