Three French tourists have been handed down suspended jail terms for taking allegedly insulting photographs with a Buddha statue.
Police were alerted after a photographic laboratory in Galle discovered photos of the tourists offensively posing with the statues, including imitating the pose of the Buddha and pretending to kiss one of them.
A magistrate sentenced two women and a man to six months in prison with hard labour, suspended for five years, and also levied a fine. The conviction came under a section which outlaws the intention to wound or insult “the religious feelings of any class or persons” in, upon or near sacred objects or places of worship.
However, exposing oneself in front of mosques and stealing statues from Hindu temples are apparently not deemed as offences under this section.
It seems also that prosecution for 'assaulting' inanimate objects is a more pressing issue than prosecutions for rape in Sri Lanka.
In 2010, R&B singer Akon was refused a visa to enter Sri Lanka and sparked violent protests in Colombo after a music video of his was also deemed offensive to Buddhism.
Also see our earlier post: A disrespect to Buddhism (14 January 2012)
Police were alerted after a photographic laboratory in Galle discovered photos of the tourists offensively posing with the statues, including imitating the pose of the Buddha and pretending to kiss one of them.
A magistrate sentenced two women and a man to six months in prison with hard labour, suspended for five years, and also levied a fine. The conviction came under a section which outlaws the intention to wound or insult “the religious feelings of any class or persons” in, upon or near sacred objects or places of worship.
However, exposing oneself in front of mosques and stealing statues from Hindu temples are apparently not deemed as offences under this section.
It seems also that prosecution for 'assaulting' inanimate objects is a more pressing issue than prosecutions for rape in Sri Lanka.
In 2010, R&B singer Akon was refused a visa to enter Sri Lanka and sparked violent protests in Colombo after a music video of his was also deemed offensive to Buddhism.
Also see our earlier post: A disrespect to Buddhism (14 January 2012)
