British tourist facing deportation over Buddha tattoo in Sri Lanka
A 35-year-old British woman is facing deportation for sporting a Buddha tattoo in Sri Lanka.
Naomi Coleman was arrested at Colombo's international airport on Monday upon arrival from India.
A police statement said: "She was taken before the Negombo magistrate who ordered her to be detained prior to deportation."
A 35-year-old British woman is facing deportation for sporting a Buddha tattoo in Sri Lanka.
The woman was arrested at Colombo's international airport on Monday upon arrival from India.
A police statement said: "She was taken before the Negombo magistrate who ordered her to be detained prior to deportation."
According to the Times of India, the woman had an image of the Buddha sitting on a lotus flower tattooed on her right arm.
The arrest is the latest in a series of incidents where Sri Lanka has shown no tolerance of any perceived disrespect of the nation's majority religion by foreigners.
NDTV reports that it was not immediately clear where the woman would be deported to.
According to Time, in March a British tourist was refused entry to the country for showing "disrespect" for having a Buddha tattooed on his arm.
In August 2013, three French tourists received a suspended prison sentence for kissing a Buddha statue.
And, in 2010, US rapper Akon was prevented from visiting Sri Lanka after featuring women wearing next-to-nothing in front of a Buddha statue in one of his music videos.
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