Global Tibetan leaders, activists stand in support of Dalai Lama

LHASA: After the Dalai Lama's video of purportedly kissing a boy went viral, a group of Tibetan leaders and activists from across the globe have expressed their solidarity and support for him, reported Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities.

The statement came in the wake of the media coverage around a video clip of Dalai Lama's interaction with a child at an event in February.

The statement said, "Language, culture, and context define how people view any given situation. For Tibetans who see the video clip of the Dalai Lama's interaction with a child at a public event in February, it is clear he is displaying his affection, warmth, and humour. It is through a lifetime of familiarity with the Dalai Lama that we understand his words and actions."

"For some people who don't know the Tibetan context, and especially because so many children suffer serious abuse at the hands of powerful people and religious institutions, the belief and assumption is that the act was malign and the child was harmed. We can say with absolute certainty that this is not what happened," the statement added, as per Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities.

The Global Tibetan leaders and activists said, "It is instructive to hear what the child and his family have said about their time with the Dalai Lama. The mother (seen sitting onstage next to the Dalai Lama) and the child both gave media interviews immediately after the event. While we know this won't satisfy everyone with concerns, we hope their own words will help add some context and clarity to the question of how they feel about what happened."

"What has been most painful for Tibetans and our allies is witnessing the rush to condemn the Dalai Lama. Any attempt to understand Tibetan culture, the full context of the exchange, and this nearly 90-year-old icon of global peace has been shockingly absent from most media coverage and online discourse," the statement said.

The statement further said, "As movement leaders and activists, we are not surprised to see a massive operation by Chinese government operatives and trolls working to drive and amplify this story, maximizing views and outrage in order to distort reality. Their aim is to destroy the reputation of the Dalai Lama and the movement for Tibetan freedom."

"Tibetans in Tibet need us to stay focused on exposing the reality of China's genocidal, colonial occupation of our country. Tibet is one of the least free places on earth. China has forced and coerced one million Tibetan children into colonial boarding schools, millions of nomads off of their grasslands, and has terrorized countless people for having the Dalai Lama's photo and praying for his long life," the Tibetan leaders and activists concluded, according to a report published in Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities.

An official statement was also released by the office of the Dalai Lama on Monday, stating that the Tibetan spiritual leader "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".

The Buddhist spiritual leader's remarks came after a video clip started circulating on social media that showed him meeting a young boy.

The video has caught the attention of netizens on social media. Social media users have expressed their disappointment and outrage over the incident.