A prominent Tibetan leader has come forward to defend the Dalai Lama after a video went viral showing him asking a child to suck his tongue. Penpa Tsering, the head of Tibet's government-in-exile, referred to the spiritual leader's actions as "innocent" and said they were an expression of his "affectionate behavior."
The video, which surfaced earlier this month, drew widespread criticism on social media, with many users deeming the Dalai Lama's actions inappropriate. The spiritual leader's office has since issued an apology over the incident.
On Thursday, Mr. Tsering asserted that the Dalai Lama's actions had been misconstrued, and the controversy had hurt the sentiments of his followers. He further emphasized that the Dalai Lama has always lived in "sanctity and celibacy," and his years of spiritual practice had taken him "beyond the sensorial pleasures."
The incident reportedly took place at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamshala on 28th February. In the video, the spiritual leader can be heard asking the boy to kiss him on his cheek and then his lips after the child asked if he could give him a hug. The Dalai Lama then placed his forehead against the boy's before sticking out his tongue, saying "and suck my tongue." The video has been viewed over a million times on Twitter, and some human rights activists have deemed the Dalai Lama's actions as child abuse.
The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India since 1959 after fleeing Tibet following an uprising against Chinese rule. In 2019, he courted controversy once before when he stated in a BBC interview that any future female Dalai Lama should be "attractive." His office later issued an apology for his remarks.
