The Tibetan Parliament in Exile on Friday suggested that the recent controversy over the Dalai Lama asking a boy to suck his tongue was an attempt by the Chinese government to vilify him and urged people not to be misled.

“The Central Tibetan Administration and, especially, His Holiness the Dalai Lama have been uninterrupted targets of vilification by the communist Chinese government,” the Tibetan Parliament in Exile said.

“It is a campaign that the Chinese government has kept on pursuing at all times, and in every possible manner, both domestically and internationally, employing various sorts of media, private individuals and so forth. Its vile policy objective continues to attempt to destroy or otherwise degrade the Tibetan society.”

The statement comes a week after a video of the Dalai Lama kissing a boy on the lips and asking him to suck his tongue went viral, and five days after the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists apologised for upsetting people with his actions.

The statement does not elaborate on how the Chinese government was involved. However, Penpa Tsering — the second elected Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration in India — was quoted by CNN as saying that internal investigations had suggested that pro-Chinese sources were involved in the circulation of the video.

Without going into the details of the incident, the statement sought to put things in perspective. “On occasions (sic), on an understanding of having developed a fellow feeling, His Holiness interacts in a clearly playful manner with others, such as by pulling their beards, or touching His cheek or nose with theirs.”

The Tibetan Parliament in Exile added that it had been deeply hurt and saddened by the misinterpretation of the incident "where without proper research irresponsible and careless sort of explanations and comments were being given to it in the media".

After the video went viral, some had accused the Dalai Lama of paedophilia. The following day, the Dalai Lama’s office issued a statement along with an apology to the boy and his family besides others upset by his actions.

By way of explanation, the Dalai Lama’s office said the boy had asked if he could give the monk a hug.

"His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” the Dalai Lama’s office said.