WorldMANDALAY, AFP -A Myanmar court on Thursday jailed a Dutch tourist for three months with hard labour for insulting religion after he unplugged an amplifier relaying a late-night Buddhist sermon. Slights against religion are treated with extreme seriousness by the courts and a pious public in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Delivering the ruling, a judge on Thursday said Haytema was “clearly guilty” of insulting religion and was “sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour”. In July, a Spanish tourist was deported after monks complained about a tattoo of Buddha on his leg. Last year a New Zealand bar manager also spent 10 months in jail for “insulting religion” by using a Buddha image to promote a cheap drinks night.

Source: Sunday Times October 06, 2016 11:09 UTC