“Don’t leap to judgment in a few seconds based on a doctored clip,” urges British Human Rights advocate on the recent viral video on Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama

These past few days, Tibetans around the world were horribly distraught and hurt by the gross media onslaught against their Spiritual Leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as the world almost watched in awe and disbelieve.

Lobsang Yeshi, a former Member of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and former Vice President of Tibetan Youth Congress, wrote: “None realised the truth that it was yet another vicious Chinese conspiracy to tarnish the impeccable image of the world’s most popular Peace Icon.”

The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama released a written statement on its website on 10th April, after a cleverly spliced video clip went viral.

The Statement:

“A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. 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.”

Many Tibetan followers of the Nobel Peace laureate did not see the need to issue such a statement from the Dalai Lama’s Office as they believe that their spiritual leader had done nothing wrong.

Tsering Passang, Founder and Chair of the Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities, said: “This is clearly a deliberate attempt by China and its agents to tarnish the image of the Tibetan spiritual leader. They will also not succeed in their attempt to create a division between the people of India and the Tibetan refugees. They have attempted this with the Tibetans in Tibet and the ordinary Chinese people back in 2008-09. As followers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama we firmly believe in our spiritual leader and nobody can create the division they desired and hoped for. The truth will come out in due course. We condemn the perpetrators for their malicious act against our spiritual guru.”

Benedict Rogers, Chief Executive/cofounder, Hong Kong Watch; Senior Analyst at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), cofounder and Vice Chair of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, who recently met with the Dalai Lama, wrote:

I have a simple but profound principle – I try never to comment on something unless and until I feel confident that I understand the full picture and context. In our day and age, especially in the West, we’re too quick to speak and too slow to think & reflect & try to understand.

A good friend and mentor to me had an expression: “I want to have open ears, open eyes, an open mind and an open heart, before having an open mouth”. I think that’s a good principle to have.

I try neither to condone nor condemn until I have a full picture. So over recent days I’ve followed the reports carefully, and tried to respect the emotions both of those who have jumped up and down in outrage and condemnation and of #Tibetans who understandably feel insulted.

As much as the initial image and quote, especially to a Western ear in our over-sexualised, sensualised and hyper-sensitive environment, seems indeed deeply disturbing and distasteful, I tried – unlike some others – not to jump to wrong conclusions.

I felt confident that the quote and footage being circulated did not represent one of the world’s most spiritual, compassionate, courageous, inspiring religious leaders – and therefore I wanted to understand more before commenting.

I was also certain that the footage was being misused deliberately by #China‘s brutal, mendacious #CCP regime which would do anything to undermine, attack or destroy the credibility and reputation of those who shine a light on the truth, and no one more so than His Holiness.

I watched this video and I found it incredibly helpful.

To anyone who is willing to spend just over 17 minutes to try to understand, this is well worth watching – and watching until the very end:

So I would simply say: look at the entirety of the story, the entirety of the picture. Don’t leap to judgment in a few seconds based on a doctored clip. Take time to gain a fuller understanding.

And try to understand the truth about #China #CCP‘s illegal occupation and repression of #Tibet. And let’s increase our efforts to stand with #Tibetans and work to #FreeTibet.”

Mr Lobsang Yeshi, a former Member of Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and former Vice President of Tibetan Youth Congress, who lives in a refugee settlement in south India, wrote a piece on the subject. Tsamtruk.com is pleased to publish his perspective.

The Latest Chinese Conspiracy against the Dalai Lama foiled, again!

For the last few days, Tibetans around the world were horribly distraught and pained by the gross media onslaught against their Supreme spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as the world almost watched in awe and disbelieve. None realized the truth that it was yet another vicious Chinese conspiracy to tarnish the impeccable image of the world’s most popular Peace Icon.  

A reality check on the Origin of this Vicious Onslaught against the Dalai Lama:

Within weeks of the Public event held at The Dalai Lama’s Main Temple Yard in Dharamshala on 28th February, where His Holiness met with 120 students and members of M3M Foundation, also participated by sizable media contingent, a maliciously edited and tempered video on His Holiness’s interaction with the Indian boy was circulated across China and Tibet by the Chinese cyber army, the netizens and the CCP stooges. According to Tibetans inside Tibet and China, this video was circulated widely in Chinese social media, fanned extensively by CCP Government agencies. 

For over a month, Chinese sponsored cyber goons toiled rigorously inside Tibet and China to tarnish the image of Dalai Lama by indicting for ‘sexual misconduct’. 

While this was going on in China and Tibet, a fake Twitter account in the name of ‘Yin Sun@NiSiv4’, a fake Youtube Account in the name of Robert Reed and a fake Facebook account in the name of ‘Deter Influencers from Child Abuse’ were opened on February 2023, 1st April and 9th April simultaneously. 

The first post (dated April 8th) in the fake twitter account of ‘Yin Sun@NiSiv4’, was the upload of the video on His Holiness’s interaction with the Indian boy. Similarly the first and the only post on the fake facebook account of ‘Deter Influencers from Child Abuse’ was also that video and the only post or video uploaded on the fake youtube channel of Robert Reed was the same truncated video. Meanwhile the fake facebook account of ‘Deter Influencers from Child Abuse’ posted a petition titled, “Save kids from Dalai Lama — let’s stop child abuse” in the renowned public forum of Change.org on 7th April. The ‘sensational’ news was then fed to some of the popular Indian news media, launching the video as ‘viral’ without any verification and fact checking. 

Almost every other Indian media group joined this frenzied bandwagon in a massive and maddening cacophony, breaching every code of ethic for journalism. 

Later on 10th April evening, ‘Yin Sun@NiSiv4’ boasted in his twitter post that “the world decided after watching the video…I think most people will agree with me that his xxxx has weird customs…I ruined his reputation forever.”

With this single tweet, the CCP agent -Yin Sun had revealed the fact that the entire scheme was sponsored, orchestrated and coordinated by the Chinese stooges for the bosses in Beijing. This Conspiracy was evidently aimed exclusively to damage the pristine reputation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The current vilification propaganda from China unfolded as yet another failed attempt to sacrilege the divine being of His Holiness.  

For God Sake! It was just an affectionate Peck… a divine expression of love, warmth and concern.

Anybody watching the entire event would acknowledge the fact that it was a spontaneous, open and natural moment of joy, blessing and positive energy between the visitors and the Dalai Lama. The event concluded peacefully and pleasantly with the delegates taking a group photo with His Holiness. The boy expressed great joy for having met and hugged His Holiness. He later told the RFA reporters that, “I really wanted to meet His Holiness, It was really good experience. It is inexplicable how blessed you feel when you get blessed by Him and especially able to hug Him. And I seeing Him this near is a blessing itself. He is very positive and he has a lot of positive energy. Overall, it’s a very good experience.” 

Following the unwarranted upheaval, the parents of the boy are stated to have written a letter to the office of Dalai Lama “assuring that their faith and respect for His Holiness remain intact”. 

Yes, it is a sad reality that we are living in an era, where even parents are trolled and condemned for a caring kiss and a peck on their children. We cannot forget how Victoria and David Beckham as well as Bollywood actor Chhavi Mittal were ruthlessly trolled for exhibiting photos of kissing their children in a loving gesture. Unfortunately, Tibetan people are expressive in love and concern for their children and siblings. His Holiness is particularly known for His warm and caring greetings and for the pure divine presence. Millions of visitors can vouch for the warmth, love and sanctity His Holiness embodies. 

Emphasising on the need of love and compassion, His Holiness often says that, “there is the critical period of brain development from the time of birth up to at least the age of three or four, during which time loving physical contact is the single most important factor for the normal growth of the child. If the child is not held, hugged, cuddled, or loved, its development will be impaired, and its brain will not mature properly. Since a child cannot survive without the care of others, love is its most important nourishment. Nowadays, many children grow up in unhappy homes. If they do not receive proper affection, in later life they will rarely love their parents and, not infrequently, will find it hard to love others. This is very sad”. 

Lo and Behold, now that the complete video-clip of the event were out in public domain, many prominent personalities have acknowledged mistake and offered apology for their trolls and criticism of His Holiness. Now that the mist have cleared and sanity returned, it’s time that the irresponsible Media houses undo the mess it has created in Haste and Apologize for the Blasphemous Onslaught on the character of His Holiness, and for Hurting the sentiments of millions of Tibetans, Buddhist followers and admirers of the Dalai Lama around the world.

While the world has the Dalai Lama, let’s cherish and Save Him from the Chinese Predators! Tibetans have been wronged many occasions, let’s not allow another! 

Peace, Love & Hugs!

Lobsang Yeshi, a Tibetan in Exile