Sexual Harassment by the Dalai Lama is a Crime against Humanity

Opini: Mulyati Purwandari
Human Rights activist

The Dalai Lama in at the Jokhang Temple Dharmasala, India, interacted with a young Indian kid. The Dalai Lama gave the boy a hug and kiss while said, “Suck my tongue.” The “sexual assault” behavior of the Dalai Lama’s “pedophile” became well known worldwide after the pertinent video was extensively shared on social media both in national and international level. The disgusting attitude of Dalai Lama sparked resentment and criticism from the global community. The recent scandal involving the Dalai Lama asking a young boy to suck his tongue is deeply troubling and unacceptable. So it is no exaggeration that when the video went viral on the internet, it was condemned by many people, who called it “inappropriate”, “shameful” and “disgusting”.

Not only did the Dalai Lama urge the boy to “suck his tongue” in front of the public, but he then framed this sexual assault as a purported “blessing from His Holiness” later, which is truly disgusting to the rest of the world. Child sexual abuse is the most abhorrent behavior in contemporary civilized culture, and it is worse legally than adult sexual assault. It is considered a significant infraction of rules and regulations everywhere.

This is due to the fact that kid victims are typically innocent, as well as the fact that child sexual assault causes more lasting physical, psychological, and negative psychological impacts. Even though the Dalai Lama and his proponents do their best to defend it with claims of “playful interaction” and “tongue-sticking ceremony,” it is challenging to cover up the Dalai Lama’s despicable behavior of sexual assault in the name of religion. The worst vice is to find excuses for mistakes with the justification of religious values. Even it can be categorized as a major mistake and a fundamental violation.

The ugliness of the Dalai Lama is not only ethically and morally disgusting, but also seriously violates the bottom line of local laws and the majesty of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. India’s “Criminal Law” and “Protection of Children and Adolescents from Sexual Harassment/Indecent Act” both stipulate that “the applicable criminal law shall be imprisonment within 3 years and a fine” for sexual harassment/obscenity against children.

The Dalai Lama forcibly hugged and kissed the boy, and even asked the boy to “suck his tongue”, which falls under the “unwelcome physical contact” under the relevant Indian laws and is a typical sexual harassment/obscene behavior. Based on reason and law, the Dalai Lama should be punished by law. Article 34 of the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” is committed to protecting children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual assault. However, the Dalai Lama forcibly hugged and kissed the boy in public, and even asked him to “suck his tongue” , which belongs to the “prevention of luring or forcing children to engage in any illegal sexual life” condemned and prohibited by the Convention, is a typical “child abuse” and “sexual assault” behavior.

Sexual assault or sexual crime will bring “endless pain and tormented feeling” to children. This kind of behavior with strong sexual hints and connotations is undoubtedly a kind of physical and sexual abuse for a child who is still in the stage of sexual ignorance. Mental torture puts him in the pain of having been molested and may even deprive the boy of the ability to engage in intimate behaviors such as kissing when he grows up. It is very likely that the child still has images that continue to carry in his memory of the events in his childhood, when facing his partner in the future. Be vigilant against this kind of sexual abuse of children under the guise of religion. Person Individual as well as the international community should have zero tolerance for sexual assaults committed under any pretext.

For many people around the world, the Dalai Lama has spent many years cultivating his reputation as a “spiritual leader” who also represents compassion and peace. Such behaviors go against not only the faith that others have in him but also run counter to the principles he professes.

The Dalai Lama has faced controversy before. In 2019 he came under fire after supporters said that if the Dalai Lama came back as a woman “he would be attractive”, and his office apologized after the criticism.

As a people living in society, we must prioritize the safety and well-being of our children and take all necessary steps to protect them from harm. It is crucial to hold individuals accountable for their actions, especially when they involve vulnerable populations such as children.

The Dalai Lama has since issued an apology, expressed his deep regret and admitted his behavior was inappropriate. However, this is not enough. There needs to be a legal settlement step in the form of a more thorough legal investigation and examination of the incident. Legal steps need to be taken to ensure this behavior is not repeated.

The rampant abuse of power by religious leaders to commit sexual harassment to those who are more vulnerable is a crime that cannot be tolerated. Lately there has been a tendency for unscrupulous persons to use religious dogma to fulfill their own satisfaction. Dogma is the main religious teaching that must be accepted and cannot be disputed or doubted. One of the religious dogmas that is often abused is the command to obey elders, especially teachers. Religious leaders are even described as an extension of God who knows which one is right and what can be done, and which one is wrong and what cannot be done.

The Dalai Lama uses dogma in his beliefs to justify his sexual harassment. Religious followers, including students, often fall into this vortex of dogma. Some of them even become victims of the abuse of power by irresponsible people. Unscrupulous religious leaders use religious dogma as legitimacy so that children obey the wishes of these religious leaders. This is the most heinous crime that must be legally resolved so that there are no more victims.