Dalai Lama faces backlash for behaving inappropriately with child, issues apology

The Dalai Lama has issued an apology after he was seen behaving inappropriately with a child during a public event. Videos of the incident show a young boy interacting with the Dalai Lama at the event, and the Dalai Lama then asking the boy to perform a vulgar act. Many people have condemned the spiritual leader’s actions, calling it pedophilic and liable for punishment under anti-child sexual abuse laws. After the video faced intense backlash, the Dalai Lama on Monday, April 10, issued an apology to the boy and his family for “the hurt his words may have caused.”

“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 apologise to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” the statement said. Adding that the Dalai Lama “often teases people in an innocent and playful way,” it said that he regrets the incident. 

Was wondering if this was about language barrier or poor use of words. We are quick to cancel someone these days but nothing can explain him telling a child to ‘Now suck my tongue’. There was nothing playful about it. #DalaiLama https://t.co/wn5LuEIGAs

— Renuka Vyavahare (@renukaVyavahare) April 10, 2023

The Dalai Lama apologised for the incident. However, is an apology enough? The video is on the internet and the internet is forever. It will cause him trauma growing up. For any other person this would amount to jail time. This is molestation and needs to be taken seriously https://t.co/X3mdLycjSL

— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) April 10, 2023

In 2019, the Dalai Lama had come under the scanner for saying that if the next Dalai Lama were a woman, “she should be attractive.” He was forced to issue an apology then too, saying, "His Holiness consistently emphasises the need for people to connect with each other on a deeper human level, rather than getting caught up in preconceptions based on superficial appearances."