The Dalai Lama has stated he “regrets” asking a young child to “suck” his tongue. Previously a video emerged showing the spiritual leader kissing the boy on the lips before asking him to suck his tongue. The incident occurred in February during an event being held in Dharamshala which is located in northern India.
Dalai Lama’s Statement
In a statement released on April 10, the Dalai Lama’s office said he wished to “apologize” to the child and “his family.” The spiritual leader also wanted to apologize to “his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
The statement also mentioned that the Dalai Lama will often tease those “he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras.”
Many people have expressed their outrage on social media. The majority of the voices say that an apology is not enough. Furthermore, they believe he should have more consequences.
The Video
In the video, the child is seen approaching the Dalai Lama. Once standing in front of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, the young boy asked if he could hug him. The spiritual leader invited the boy onto the stage with him.
When the boy got on stage, the 87-year-old Dalai Lama pointed to his cheek saying “First here” prompting the child to kiss and hug him. Afterward, the spiritual leader pointed to his lips saying “Here also.” Then the Nobel Peace Prize winner pulled the child’s chin and kissed him on the mouth.
Next, the spiritual leader told the boy to “suck” his tongue. A few moments later he stuck out his tongue. The man then tilted his head towards the young child coming very close to the boy’s face.
The child’s identity is unknown.
Previous Controversy
This is not the first time the spiritual leader has been in the news for doing something controversial. In 2019, he made the comment that a female Dalai Lama “should be more attractive” if she succeeds him.
The year prior he made an insensitive comment about keeping “Europe for Europeans.”
— Flint Bedrock (@flintbedrock) April 10, 2023
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: Dalai Lama apologizes after video asking child to ‘suck’ his tongue sparks outcry
Fox News: Dalai Lama says he was being ‘innocent and playful’ when asking young boy to ‘suck my tongue’
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of webted‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Christopher Michel‘s Flickr Page – Creative
