Dalai Lama apologizes after video of him kissing child on the lips sparks criticism

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FILE PHOTO: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama speaks during a news conference in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, September 11, 2017. File photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video showing him kissing a child on the lips drew criticism.

A statement posted on his official website said the 87-year-old leader regretted the incident and wished to “apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends around the world, for the hurt that his words may have caused”.

The incident happened during a public gathering in February at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamsala, where the exiled leader lives. He was answering questions from the audience when the boy asked if he could hug him.

The Dalai Lama invited the boy to climb up to the platform he was sitting on. In the video, he gestured to his cheek, after which the child kissed him before giving him a hug.

The Dalai Lama then asked the boy to kiss him on the lips and stuck out his tongue. “And suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama can be heard saying as the boy sticks out his own tongue and leans in, prompting laughter from the audience.

The footage sparked a backlash online with social media users condemning his behavior as inappropriate and disturbing.

“His Holiness often teases the people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and in front of the cameras,” the Dalai Lama’s statement read.

The Dalai Lama has made the city of Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet part of China, although it welcomes Tibetan exiles.

Left: FILE PHOTO: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama speaks during a news conference in Londonderry, Northern Ireland September 11, 2017. File photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

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