New Delhi: The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Monday issued an apology for a video that showed him kissing a young boy on the lips and then asking him to “suck my tongue” at a gathering in Dharamshala.
“His Holiness 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,” said the statement issued by the Office of the Dalai Lama.
The statement noted that the Dalai Lama “often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras”. “He regrets the incident,” it added.
In the video shot at an event in February, an unidentified boy is seen approaching the leader and asking if he could hug the Nobel peace prize winner.
The 87-year-old spiritual leader then invites the boy on stage and points to his cheek and then his lips. In the video, the Dalai Lama then asked the boy to “suck my tongue”.
The Delhi-based child rights group Haq: Centre for Child Rights told CNN that it condemns all forms of child abuse.
“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 cultural expressions are not acceptable,” said the NGO.