The Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video clip went viral showing him kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to “suck” his tongue.
The Dalai Lama’s office shared a statement Monday in which His Holiness issued an apology “to the young boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.” In a video shared widely online, the 87-year-old can be seen laughing as he kisses a young boy on the mouth at an event in Dharamshala in February, CNN reported.
The young boy was invited on stage by the Dalai Lama, who then asked the boy to give him a hug and a kiss on the lips. “And suck my tongue,” the spiritual leader asked after the exchange, according to CNN.
This sick, disturbing video of the Dalai Lama making a child suck his tongue emerged months ago, but it has only just now made waves on social media—prompting the “holy” man to issue an apology. Why wasn’t it a problem for him before it went viral?
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 10, 2023
“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident,” the statement from the Dalai Lama’s office continued.
The identity of the young boy is currently unknown. He was part of the event with the M3M Foundation, a philanthropic subsidiary of Indian real estate company, M3M Group, CNN noted. In a statement shared with CNN, M3M condemned “all form of child abuse.”
“Some news refer to Tibetan culture about showing tongue, but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression and even if it is, such cultural expressions are not acceptable,” the group continued. (RELATED: VP Of BBC Says Producing Chinese Propaganda Ads Is ‘Vital’ For Funding Journalism)
The Dalai Lama is the 14th reincarnation of the leader of the “Yellow Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism, and is followed by millions of people across the globe. He has been based in India since 1959 after a failed Tibetan uprising against the Chinese.