The Tibetan government-in-exile, which is based in India, has defended spiritual leader Dalai Lama after his video with a child went viral.
In the video, Dalai Lama is seen first kissing the child on the lips, and then asking the boy to suck his tongue.
Penpa Tsering, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, called the incident the Dalai Lama's "innocent grandfatherly affectionate demeanour" followed by a "jovial prank" with his tongue.