Tibetans claim Lama’s ‘Suck My Tongue’ video was misused by Chinese Communist Party to discredit him

The Tibetan community around the world is shocked to see how a video of the Dalai Lama has been misinterpreted and hypersexualized to smear the exiled spiritual leader’s image. The Tibetans claim that the video is being misused by Chinese Communist Party propagandists to discredit the Dalai Lama and legitimize China’s control over Tibet.

In the viral video, the Dalai Lama is seen hugging a child and asking for a peck on the cheek. He then kisses the child on the lips and sticks out his tongue, asking the child to ‘suck’ it. However, in Tibetan culture, people have a tradition of sticking out their tongues to greet each other, which dates back to the 9th century.

The video suddenly went viral, and many criticized the action as inappropriate and even alleged it to be a case of child abuse. However, US-based Tibetan journalist Tsering Kyi said that the Dalai Lama has been the target of CCP for the past 70 years, and the viral video is just another attempt to discredit him while misinterpreting Tibetan culture.

The Dalai Lama’s office issued an apology on Monday after the viral video drew criticism. However, some Tibetans felt that no apology was needed, as the act was one of pure love, faith, and compassion, which does not require any apology. The Tibetan culture has been misconstrued and hypersexualized to set a false narrative against the Dalai Lama.

According to Tenzin Pema, a Tibetan mother, the act of foreheads touching (oothuk) represents pure love and respect in their culture, and it does not require an apology. A kiss or a ‘po’ on the lips given by elders to little children and by young children to elders is also common in their culture and another sign of pure, unabashed love. The most highlighted part of the video, ‘suck my tongue,’ was a wrong translation of the words ‘nge che le jip,’ which is a common playful refrain used by Tibetan elders.

In conclusion, the Tibetan community is dismayed by the misinterpretation of the video and the attempt to discredit the Dalai Lama, who has been a target of CCP propaganda for years. The act was one of pure love and compassion, and the Tibetan culture has been misconstrued and hypersexualized to set a false narrative against the Dalai Lama.