Tibetan Canadians say video of Dalai Lama kissing boy taken out of context

Members of the Tibetan diaspora across Canada say a viral video that shows the Dalai Lama asking a boy to 'suck' his tongue has been misinterpreted and represented in Western countries as more menacing than it is.

Members of the Tibetan diaspora across Canada say a viral video that shows the Dalai Lama asking a boy to suck his tongue has been misinterpreted and represented in Western countries as more menacing than it is.

The video was filmed at a public gathering in February at the Tsuglakhang temple in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala, where the exiled 87-year-old Tibetan leader lives.

He was taking questions from the audience when the boy asked for a hug.

In the video, the Dalai Lama speaks to the boy for a moment, hugs him and kisses him on the lips. Then, he tells the boy to suck his tongue, which he sticks out for a few seconds, prompting laughter from the audience.

The footage triggered a backlash online, with social media users condemning the spiritual leader's behaviour as inappropriate and disturbing. The video surfaced again after the Dalai Lama issued a statement last Monday explaining he often "teases people he meets" in the manner shown in the video, and apologizing for any harm his actions caused the boy and his family.

However, Tibetan Canadians and supporters of the Dalai Lama in Canada say the video has been taken out of context by a largely Western audience that lacks an understanding of Tibetan cultural customs.

"The recent allegations against His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama are deeply concerning to us," the Tibetan Women's Association of Ontario told CTVNews.ca in an emailed statement.