The Teddy Bear Foundation has weighed in on the Dalai Lama saga and cautioned parents from putting their trust in religious leaders at the expense of their children.
The foundation runs the Teddy Bear Clinic which is a specialised medical facility for children who have been abused and neglected. It promotes healing and strives to stop further abuse.
The Foundation Director Dr Shaheda Omar said children must be taught about their rights and safety.
“This (Dalai Lama video) creates more worry and concern about many children out there and parents should not sit in their comfort zone when they send their children to Sunday School or religious retreats or the church or any religious institution,” she warned.
Omar said to avoid child exploitation, there needs to be consistent dialogue around safety issues where children need to understand and internalise what safety means.
Omar condemned the Dalai Lama’s behaviour and said how the incident happened was not an excuse as it had crossed the boundaries and went beyond what is normal and acceptable behaviour.
“There has been a transgression of boundaries, the boundary line has been crossed, it is not acceptable behaviour, it is not appropriate conduct, it has a strong sexual connotation,” she said.
The Dalai Lama’s actions caused an outrage worldwide when a video of the aging Tibetan spiritual guru is seen kissing a young boy before sticking his tongue out and asking the child to suck it. He has since apologized for the incident.
But the incident which happened in full view of his entourage and the family of the young boy said to be from India and took place at his temple in February, has sent shockwaves throughout the world especially because he was a revered leader even by fellow Nobel Peace Prize Laureates President Nelson Mandela and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The 87-year-old Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
The Dalai Lama’s action was also condemned by religious groups and the South African Christian Ministers Council expressed shock at his conduct and called for his punishment, according to its leader Bishop Daniel Matebesi.
“This is a total violation of human rights by a religious leader behaving in a manner not befitting his position. We humbly urge our brothers and sisters who are leading different religious organisations worldwide to behave.
“What happened shocked us to the marrow, and we need the Dalai Lama to be punished for what he did as a leader who is respected worldwide,” he said.
An attorney at the North West University’s Law Clinic Sammy Leshilo went as far as to say if the Tibetan spiritual leader was South African, he could be facing a charge of sexual assault.
Leshilo said the impact or consequences that the Dalai Lama could have had to deal with – had Tibet been a member of the United Nations – could have been dire.
The Tibet region is governed as an autonomous region of China and it is not recognised as an independent country by the UN although it had been annexed by China in 1945.
Leshilo said in South Africa the Dalai Lama’s actions could be perceived as a criminal offence, because children should not be groomed or be exposed to sexual content.
Leshilo said in terms of international children’s rights, his behaviour is considered as sexual assault and a display of pedophilia, where a minor is asked to perform a sexual act or an adult request sexual favours from a minor.
“It is wrong, immoral, it’s unjust, especially coming from a religious leader, he was supposed to uphold the moral principle of the society and uphold the religious sense of reality and protecting the rights of the children,” he said.
Leshilo said the boy’s parents should also consider taking legal steps in the best interest of the child.
