The Dalai Lama has apologised for asking a boy to suck his tongue after the internet raged against him and accused him of child abuse.

He issued an apology on April 10 for a video in which he is asking a child to kiss him on the lips and suck his tongue.

The video which has gone viral on social media was taken in Dharamsala, India. In the short clip, the Dalai Lama points to his cheek saying ‘first here’ and then points to his lips asking for another kiss and saying ‘suck my tongue’ as he puts his forehead close to the boy.

Dalai Lama apologises

A statement saying the Dalai Lama apologises was issued by his office and reads as follows:

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader apologizes to the boy and his family as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.

His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”

Time magazine reported that the statement did not make any reference to the kiss.

The clip has received a lot of uproar and has been widely criticized as pedophilic and sick.

“This is NOT playful banter & so inappropriate to use ‘affectionately plants kiss’ alongside ‘suck my tongue’. Hugs are fine, not this. Don’t normalise molestations of kids – don’t care how revered the Dalai Lama is I’m not OK with a child sucking a grown man/woman/anyone’s tongue,” tweeted Dr Shola Mos Shogbamimu, a British women’s rights activist.

Child Rights Group

Prominent Delhi based child rights group Haq: Center for Child Rights also condemned the action. It told CNN in a statement:

“Some news refers to Tibetan culture about showing tongue, but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression and even if it is, such expressions are not acceptable.”

The Dalai Lama has received criticism in the past for saying things like a female Dalai Lama should be attractive which he said in 2019. In 2018 he was criticised for suggesting that Europe should be for Europeans only while discussing the subject of African refugees.

Whether the internet will accept that Dalai Lama apologises for the incident or now, we have to wait and see.

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Photo above is from Wikipedia