Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Dalai llama ask a child to suck his tongue

920 replies

Mooshamoo · 10/04/2023 12:49

Has anyone seen the new video of the Dalai Llama asking a child to suck his tongue. Yes. It sounds bizarre. But it is in the news right now. The video is out there. And the dalai llama is apologising on social media now

Im devastated! I went to see the Dalai Llama in India. He gave a speech on accepting and loving everyone, and that it didn't matter what religion we are. I always told people that it was one of the highlights of my life.

I went through life thinking he was a good person, that he was one of the good ones. To see this today, makes me think oh no is he yet another abuser.

Some people have remarked about this video that sticking your tongue out at someone is a greeting in Tibet.

However - the Dalai Llama kisses the child on the lips in the video, and asks the child to suck his tongue. It does not look right at all.

He has apologised on twitter now.

What do you all think?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
21
BurrosTail · 10/04/2023 16:18

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 15:56

The excuse that it is normal for kids to stick their tongue out in Tibet is ludicrous. Of course, children stick their tongues out (when they choose to) in many cultures all over the world and probably always have. However, doing it because an old perv who has just made you kiss him on the lips says that you should, and upon the basis that he may suck it, in front of a huge televised audience when you may well have never kissed anyone on the lips before - joke? come off it!!

Sticking a tongue out has been a greeting in Tibet since ninth century, so no, it’s not ludicrous, how dare you to dismiss other cultures like that. Please be less colonialising in your world view. Kissing on lips is common in many cultures, I’ve seen Arabs, Brazilians and Italians do that with kids. I found that startling in a bad way because of my own cultural background but I can understand it was done out of affection and not sexual. I myself got total pedo vibes from English dads holding hands with their daughters but I can also understand that is not the case because in English culture that is not sexual but a sign of caring plus safety.

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 16:21

😆Well there is obviously an agenda being played out now, explaining a powerful and venerated adult SUCKING the tongue of a young boy he has just met. The whole post is bonkers.

BurrosTail · 10/04/2023 16:22

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 16:21

😆Well there is obviously an agenda being played out now, explaining a powerful and venerated adult SUCKING the tongue of a young boy he has just met. The whole post is bonkers.

He did not suck the tongue.

SNAFUED · 10/04/2023 16:23

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

IcedPurple · 10/04/2023 16:23

He has apologised on twitter now.

What do you all think?

He has not apologised. He has said he 'regrets' the incident. Not the same thing.

CordyLines · 10/04/2023 16:24

Some acolytes appear to have descended to save the DL. The forces of peace and spirituality are working overtime in his defence. They might not see it, but anyone with half a brain can. The unbrainwashed cohort will prevail.

SNAFUED · 10/04/2023 16:25

IcedPurple · 10/04/2023 16:23

He has apologised on twitter now.

What do you all think?

He has not apologised. He has said he 'regrets' the incident. Not the same thing.

Exactly. He regrets it because everyone knows what he is now and he might not get as much chance to fulfil his sick behaviour anymore.

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 16:26

BurrosTail · 10/04/2023 16:22

He did not suck the tongue.

Show quote history

Do you ask to suck children's tongues? Is that a reasonable request from a powerful adult to a child he has never met?

It was easier to force the kiss. The old perv still got his thrill.

SerafinasGoose · 10/04/2023 16:26

ILoveMontyDon · 10/04/2023 16:04

If you don't think a man in a position of power telling a child to suck their tongue isn't both abusive and abhorrent, then as far as I'm concerned you're a paedophile supporter. I'm not buying the culture/joke excuse personally.

Why he did that in front of the world is a baffling question...

Hiding in plain sight.

It's a long-recognized MO (cf. Jimmy Savile groping young women on TOTP, which he openly and revoltingly referred to as his 'happy hunting ground).

And nobody - nobody - stopped him. As far as I recall only one person publicly called attention to this creep, and in return he was censored and ostracized - the equivalent in today's idiom of being de-platformed and cancelled.

It's very easy to see how these abusive men get away with it. Societies - ours and others - deny this is happening even when unassailable evidence is placed right in front of our eyes. And then, nine times out of ten, it will be reframed as the victims' fault.

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 16:27

He regrets that he never got to suck the tongue I think. He regrets that he was exposed.

Over40Overdating · 10/04/2023 16:27

@BurrosTail how about you be less apologetic for abusive men targeting children in your world view?

Sticking a tongue out may be a Tibetan culture thing but the only culture asking a young child to suck the tongue of an adult is a culture of child abuse.

whatsyourpoison12 · 10/04/2023 16:27

SerafinasGoose · 10/04/2023 16:26

Hiding in plain sight.

It's a long-recognized MO (cf. Jimmy Savile groping young women on TOTP, which he openly and revoltingly referred to as his 'happy hunting ground).

And nobody - nobody - stopped him. As far as I recall only one person publicly called attention to this creep, and in return he was censored and ostracized - the equivalent in today's idiom of being de-platformed and cancelled.

It's very easy to see how these abusive men get away with it. Societies - ours and others - deny this is happening even when unassailable evidence is placed right in front of our eyes. And then, nine times out of ten, it will be reframed as the victims' fault.

Show quote history

the other one that tried to expose him was murdered

awaynboilyurheid · 10/04/2023 16:28

He asked him too, you clearly see it, someone says it makes a change from the Pope , you’d laugh if you didn’t cry, the only part of him having dementia is he’s openly asking him,in front of people, and all this is why I am an atheist!

IcedPurple · 10/04/2023 16:29

SNAFUED · 10/04/2023 16:25

Exactly. He regrets it because everyone knows what he is now and he might not get as much chance to fulfil his sick behaviour anymore.

Show quote history

Yes, it's a 'Sorry you feel that way' sort of thing. He is not admitting that he did anything wrong.

whatsyourpoison12 · 10/04/2023 16:30

awaynboilyurheid · 10/04/2023 16:28

He asked him too, you clearly see it, someone says it makes a change from the Pope , you’d laugh if you didn’t cry, the only part of him having dementia is he’s openly asking him,in front of people, and all this is why I am an atheist!

exactly this

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 16:31

It is extremely worrying how far some people will go to defend the indefensible without ever reviewing their choices. I see it in various forums, there is no capacity to reflect and revise one's view. It is as if you pledged to believe x,y and z when you were twenty five and no matter what happens to undermine those beliefs, you will turn a blind eye and faithfully defend it forever more.

ananass · 10/04/2023 16:33

BurrosTail · 10/04/2023 16:18

Sticking a tongue out has been a greeting in Tibet since ninth century, so no, it’s not ludicrous, how dare you to dismiss other cultures like that. Please be less colonialising in your world view. Kissing on lips is common in many cultures, I’ve seen Arabs, Brazilians and Italians do that with kids. I found that startling in a bad way because of my own cultural background but I can understand it was done out of affection and not sexual. I myself got total pedo vibes from English dads holding hands with their daughters but I can also understand that is not the case because in English culture that is not sexual but a sign of caring plus safety.

Show quote history

Your faux outrage is odd, Sudeko didn’t say it’s not a greeting, just that using it as an excuse to make a child suck your tongue is ludicrous.

Yes some people including Brits kiss their own kids on the lips but this was the DL’s child and people don’t ask their kids to suck their tongues so your examples are once again ludicrous.

I myself got total pedo vibes from English dads holding hands with their daughters

This is very telling. And once again - ludicrous.

ananass · 10/04/2023 16:34
  • this was not the DL’s child
CordyLines · 10/04/2023 16:34

If people believe there is a God why do they need an organised religion with a leader?

Can they not worship their God without being told how to? The books and tenets do not need such a set up. Practically every religion around the world has abused kids, and women, and vulnerable disabled people and more.

Such evil, in the name of a benevolent God. Humans are not God but some like to think people will think they are.

KnitGoodWomanKnit · 10/04/2023 16:34

Even so, that something is cultural doesn't make it non-abusive, especially to the young and vulnerable who're always on the receiving end of these "cultural norms". We know better, we do better. Cultures can and do change/evolve.

crimsonpeak · 10/04/2023 16:34

RideACockHorseToSunburyCross · 10/04/2023 13:18

Fucking sick of this shit. Every time a man abuses a kid or batters his wife or cheats on her or any other shit thing there's a little chorus of women saying "oh no, maybe he's got a brain tumour/is depressed/didn't mean it/was just joking/needs a doctor/is having a midlife crisis

No, he's just an abusive prick. Stop defending them.

This. Fucking apologists.
The Dalai Lama is a disgusting man.

AllIsBest · 10/04/2023 16:37

Someone upthread asked why the DL did this in front of the global media.

Who knows but the way I read the video, the boy seemed relatively comfortable to give the DL a kiss on the cheek then the DL asked for a lip kiss, which the boy was reluctant to do, you can see this in his body language. The DL felt pissed off about this boy's 'rejection' and the lack of adulation and reverence to the big important man so the DL taunted the boy to suck his tongue. It was a clear abuse of power, nasty.

What's worse is all the people around the DL, no-one is intervening because.... the Dalai Lama has power. Not nice holy self reflective power, no, the typical garden variety of famous celebrity man power.

ParagraphOne · 10/04/2023 16:37

Disgusting.

ILoveMontyDon · 10/04/2023 16:37

SerafinasGoose · 10/04/2023 16:26

Hiding in plain sight.

It's a long-recognized MO (cf. Jimmy Savile groping young women on TOTP, which he openly and revoltingly referred to as his 'happy hunting ground).

And nobody - nobody - stopped him. As far as I recall only one person publicly called attention to this creep, and in return he was censored and ostracized - the equivalent in today's idiom of being de-platformed and cancelled.

It's very easy to see how these abusive men get away with it. Societies - ours and others - deny this is happening even when unassailable evidence is placed right in front of our eyes. And then, nine times out of ten, it will be reframed as the victims' fault.

Show quote history

I'm totally with you. Hiding in plain sight... Just seems a bit to start hiding in plain sight though, rather than just 'hiding'... It's very strange.

Sudeko · 10/04/2023 16:38

I suppose that it helps that when people are allowed to express their true beliefs about these things via an anonymous discussion even though it is disconcerting to learn that pedos and their defenders are not such an invisible or insignificant proportion of people as I always assumed. Like they say, you learn something new everyday.