DALAI SLAMMED
THE Dalai Lama has come under a fresh round of fire from an abuse survivor's group for his "disgusting request" to kiss a 12-year-old boy.
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) blasted the Tibetan spiritual leader for the "disturbing" moment he asked the child to "suck his tongue" in front of crowds of people in India.
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The footage, which recently surfaced from a charity event held at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamshala, has sparked a furious backlash online.
The exiled Buddhist leader's office has since issued an apology to the youngster, stating that he "regrets the incident" but insisted the leader's actions were simply "innocent and playful".
The US-based survivors group, who work to support those who have suffered abuse at the hands of religious or institutional authorities, state they are "horrified" by his actions.
SNAP released a scathing statement that read: "Our primary concern is with the innocent boy who was the subject of this disgusting request by a revered spiritual figure."
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In the controversial video, the Dalai Lama is seen being embraced by the boy who asked for a "hug" as he sat alongside other religious figures at an event.
He then instructs the child to kiss his lips by gesturing with his hands, even grabbing the boy's chin to direct him as the audience laughs.
The 87-year-old caresses the schoolboy's face before pressing their foreheads against one another.
The boy tries to pull away from the monk as he instructs the 12-year-old to "suck his tongue".
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His supporters have since tried to defend the religious leader by stating that sticking out one's tongue can be a form of greeting in Tibet and that he was just "joking around".
In response to the incident, the Dalai Lama's twitter account posted: "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."
However, SNAP refused to accept this as an adequate justification for the actions he inflicted on the child.
They said: "It is just as disturbing to read the minimizing statement released on behalf of Buddhist enlightenment.
"An 87-year-old man asking a young boy to perform a blatantly sexual act in a public setting is very disturbing.
"We feel it is important that every single person who sees, suspects, or suffers child sex crimes, regardless of the level of crime, contact law enforcement to report it," the statement read.
The Dalai Lama has been living in permanent exile in India since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after the Chinese brutally suppressed an uprising against their rule.
He is regarded as a dangerous separatist by Beijing after decades spent campaigning for an end to China's domination over his remote, mountainous homeland and suppression of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Nobel peace laureate now lives in a compound next to a temple ringed by green hills and snow-capped mountains in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala.
The Dalai Lama previously came under fire for joking that his female successor would have to be attractive, "otherwise it's not much use."
He sparked further fury in the same interview by saying that Europe would become Muslim if refugees didn't eventually leave.
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