The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, has always been revered for his teachings of peace, tolerance, and compassion. However, recent controversy has erupted over a video showing the Dalai Lama kissing a young boy on the mouth and then asking him to “suck my tongue”. Many have criticized the Dalai Lama’s actions as inappropriate and damaging to his reputation. Yet, others argue that this criticism is unfair and that the Dalai Lama’s actions should be viewed in a cultural context. In this article, we will explore the controversy surrounding the Dalai Lama’s actions and examine the arguments for and against his conduct.
The head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, has come to the defence of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, stating that his “innocent and affectionate” side has been misunderstood. The comments come after footage from a public event showed the Nobel Peace laureate asking a boy to suck his tongue and giving him a peck on the lips, prompting social media users to accuse the spiritual leader of abuse. Tsering apologised for the hurt caused by the incident but emphasised that the Dalai Lama’s “innocent, grandfatherly, affectionate demeanour” had been misinterpreted. The event in question took place in February, but the video has been widely circulated online and viewed over one million times.
Tsering blamed “pro-Chinese sources” for helping to spread the clip, adding that the “political angle of this incident cannot be ignored”. He did not provide specifics, and representatives from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi were unavailable for comment. The Chinese government does not recognise Tibet’s government-in-exile, which represents around 100,000 Tibetans living in some 30 countries, accusing the Dalai Lama of encouraging separatism.
Tenzin Gyatso fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. During several decades in exile, he has worked to draw international support for linguistic and cultural autonomy for his homeland.
The Dalai Lama’s office has released a statement apologising to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for any hurt caused by the incident. The statement said the spiritual leader often teases people “in an innocent and playful way”. “He regrets the incident,” the statement added.
Tibet’s government-in-exile has faced criticism over its handling of sexual harassment allegations in recent years. Former officials with the organisation have accused it of minimising the complaints, failing to follow through on them and shunning those who spoke out. In response, the government-in-exile has set up a task force to address the issue, but some Tibetans have said the reaction has been inadequate.
In March, several former Tibetan government-in-exile staffers, including Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang, who had served under Penpa Tsering, wrote to the International Campaign for Tibet alleging that Tsering had made sexual advances towards female colleagues. Tsering has denied the allegations.
