COURTESY BBC-
The Sri Lankan authorities have ordered the deportation of a British tourist because of a Buddha tattoo on her arm.
Named as Naomi Michelle Coleman, she arrived on a flight from India on Monday and was arrested at the airport after the tattoo of the Buddha and a lotus flower on her right arm was seen.
She is being held at an immigration detention camp until her deportation.
The authorities are tough on perceived insults to Buddhism, the religion of the island’s majority ethnic Sinhalese.
Sri Lanka is particularly sensitive about images of Buddha. The authorities regularly take strict action with regard to the treatment of the image.
When contacted, the British High Commission in Colombo said: “We are aware of the case and are providing appropriate consular assistance.”
Last March another British tourist was denied entry at Colombo’s international airport because immigration officials said he had spoken “disrespectfully” when asked about a tattoo of the Buddha on his arm.
He later spoke of his “shock” at the incident, insisting that he himself followed Buddhist teachings and thought a tattoo was an apt tribute.
Two years ago, three French tourists were given suspended prison sentences for kissing a Buddha statue.
The UK travel advice on Sri Lanka warns of the sensitivity of the issue and tells visitors not to pose for photos in front of statues of Buddha.
Over the past year monks belonging to certain hardline Buddhist groups have led violent attacks against Muslims and Christians, a trend which has given rise to considerable concern among religious minorities in Sri Lanka.