The Dalai Lama is issuing a formal apology via his verified Twitter account after a video of him meeting a child in February went viral.
The Dalai Lama Issues Apology After a Video of an Interaction With a Young Boy Goes Viral
As reports revealed, the Dalai Lama received a lot of pushback after he was caught asking a young child who originally asked him if he could give him a hug a disturbing question.
Detailed accounts of the meeting revealed that the Dalai Lama allegedly went on to ask the child to “suck his tongue” before appearing to give the boy a “peck on the lips” in front of an audience that went on to clap and cheer for the encounter.
HHDL, wearing a traditional hat from Himachal Pradesh, watching the Indian Republic Day Celebrations on TV at his residence in Dharamasala, HP, India on January 26, 2023. Photo by Tenzin Jamphel pic.twitter.com/Izgf6S7FU6
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) January 26, 2023
“A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. 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.
His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 10, 2023
At the moment, the video has over 1 million views.
The 87-year-old spiritual leader is of Tibetan culture and as the BBC reports, sticking one’s tongue out can sometimes be viewed as a greeting in Tibet. Nonetheless, a Delhi-based child rights group, known as HAQ: Center for Child Rights, denounced the Dalai Lama’s interaction with the boy.
“Some news refers to Tibetan culture about showing tongue,” HAQ said in a statement, “but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression, and even if it is, such cultural expressions are not acceptable.”
The child’s family has not issued a statement regarding how they felt about the interaction.