“His Holiness often teases people innocently and playfully.” Dalai Lama apologizes for telling a child to 'suck his tongue'

The Dalai Lama officially apologized to the boy from India and his family for kissing the child on the lips and offered to “suck the tongue”. The statement was published on the Twitter account of the spiritual leader of the followers of Tibetan Buddhism.

“His Holiness wants to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as to his friends from all over the world, for the damage his words may have caused. His Holiness often innocently and playfully teases the people he meets, even in public and in front of cameras. He regrets the incident,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement.

In February, at a ceremony in the city of Dharamsala, which was dedicated to the graduation of about 100 children from the program of one of the Indian charitable foundations, a boy approached the Dalai Lama and asked if he could hug him. In response, the spiritual leader first asked to be kissed on the cheek, then kissed the boy on the lips, and then stuck out his tongue and said, "Suck my tongue."

The video of this incident went viral on the net just today and has drawn criticism of the Dalai Lama. Some users accused the spiritual leader of pedophilia and abuse, while others even suggested arresting him.

“Some people point out that language demonstration is part of Tibetan culture, but this video is not about cultural expression. But even if this is true, such cultural expression is unacceptable,” a representative of the influential Indian human rights organization Haq: Center for Child Rights commented to CNN. They also added that they condemn "all forms of child abuse."

Source: The Dalai Lama , CNN

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