Dalai Lama Issues Apology After Controversial Video Kissing a Young Boy Surfaces

The Dalai Lama is apologizing.

The 87-year-old spiritual leader apologized following a video that surfaced featuring an interaction with a child that has gone viral.

In the video, a young boy can be seen approaching the Dalai Lama and asking “Can I hug you?” to which the leader invites the boy on stage, where they share a hug and a kiss. The Dalai Lama points to his lips, and says, “I think finally here also.” He pulls the boy’s chin and kisses him on the mouth.

“And suck my tongue,” he adds.

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“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,” the Dalai Lama‘s team said in a statement on Twitter.

“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,” the message continued.

“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,” HAQ—Center for Child Rights said in a statement via the BBC.

CNN reports that this happened at a February event with the M3M Foundation, a part of the Indian real estate company M3M Group based in Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lives in permanent exile.

See the apology inside…