How world media reported: UK tourist recounts 'hellish' time in Sri Lanka over Buddha tattoo

Thursday, April 24, 2014

A 37-year-old British nurse has recounted her "hellish" experience in Sri Lan a a!ter she "as arrested and sent to a deportation centre !or sportin# a Buddha tattoo dee$ed o!!ensi%e &y authorities'

(ao$i )ole$an "as arrested at the country*s $ain international airport on +onday shortly a!ter her arri%al on a !li#ht !ro$ nei#h&ourin# ,ndia and appeared &e!ore a $a#istrate "ho ordered her deportation, police said in a state$ent' ",t is a terri&le, hellish experience," +s )ole$an, a $ental health nurse !ro$ )o%entry in -n#land, said !ro$ the Sri Lan an deportation centre' ", a$ a practisin# Buddhist and $editate' That is "hy , ha%e the tattoo - not out o! disrespect !or Buddhis$'" -arlier, pullin# up her "hite T-shirt, +s )ole$an displayed the tattoo o! a $editatin# Buddha seated on a pin lotus !lo"er on the upper part o! her ri#ht ar$'

A British tourist displays a tattoo of the Buddha on her upper arm, after she was arrested at Sri Lanka's main international airport. Photo: AFP

She said the tattoo had ne%er created pro&le$s "hen she %isited the country t"ice &e!ore or e%en in other Buddhist countries li e Thailand and )a$&odia' +s )ole$an said that she "as ne%er told "hat char#es "ere &rou#ht a#ainst her, &ut "as held !or six hours and harassed &y police !or &ri&es' She paid .000 rupees /0312 !or a la"yer, "ho did not help her, she added' ", cried' , a$ %ery a!raid," she said' Sri Lan a, a $a3ority Buddhist nation, is hi#hly sensiti%e to percei%ed insults to the reli#ion'

Sri Lan a &arred another British tourist !ro$ enterin# the island in +arch last year !or sho"in# "disrespect" to Buddhis$ &y ha%in# a Buddha tattooed on his ar$' ,n Au#ust 2012, three 4rench tourists "ere sentenced to six $onths in 3ail, "hich "as suspended !or !i%e years, !or issin# a Buddha statue in "hat the authorities considered a si#n o! disrespect' Sri Lan a pre%ented 5S rap star A on !ro$ %isitin# in 2010 o%er one o! his $usic %ideos that !eatured scantily clad "o$en dancin# in !ront o! a Buddha statue' ,t "as not i$$ediately clear to "hich country the detained British "o$an "ould &e deported or "hen she "ould &e put on a !li#ht' AFP

Sri Lan a to deport Buddha tattoo British "o$an - BB)

(ao$i )ole$an (ao$i )ole$an "as arrested at Bandaranai e ,nternational Airport on +onday A British tourist is to &e deported !ro$ Sri Lan a &ecause o! a Buddha tattoo on her ar$' (ao$i )ole$an "as arrested as she arri%ed at the airport in the capital )olo$&o a!ter authorities spotted the tattoo on her ri#ht ar$' A police spo es$an said the 37-year-old !ro$ )o%entry "as arrested !or "hurtin# others* reli#ious !eelin#s"' +s )ole$an is &ein# held at an i$$i#ration detention ca$p a!ter a $a#istrate ordered her deportation' She is expected to &e re$o%ed "ithin days' +s )ole$an said there "as initially no pro&le$ "ith o!!icials &ut t"o taxi dri%ers and a plain clothes police o!!icer told her she "as &rea in# the la" and &rou#ht her to a police station to $a e a state$ent' +s )ole$an, a $ental health nurse, told the BB)6 ", #ot to the airport in Sri Lan a' ,t "as !ine' They sta$ped $y passport' There "as no pro&le$' (ao$i )ole$an*s tattoo +s )ole$an*s tattoo sho"s a Buddha sittin# on a lotus !lo"er ", had a short-slee%ed top on "hich sho"ed $y tattoo "hich has #ot a Buddha on and another 7indu tattoo underneath' There "as no pro&le$ there'

"It was just when I was taking my suitcases out, one of the taxi men at the stand stopped me and said, 'Oh, this is a big problem in Sri Lanka, you' e got a !uddha tattoo"'"

She said she told police in a state$ent that she practised Buddhis$ and had attended $editation retreats and "or shops in Thailand, ,ndia, )a$&odia and (epal' +s )ole$an said she had to spend +onday ni#ht in prison in (e#o$&o, near the airport, a!ter appearin# in court' ", "ent on the stand, they called $e' But they didn*t let $e spea or plead $y case' They "ere 3ust tal in# a$on# the$sel%es," she said' "Then they said, *8ou*re &ein# deported'* , said, *,*%e #ot another trip &oo ed to the +aldi%es, can , 3ust #o there, ,*ll lea%e Sri Lan a then'* They said, *(o, you*ll ha%e to &e deported &ac to your ho$e country and you*ll need to #o to prison !or the ni#ht'*
#s $oleman said she was persuaded to hire a lawyer for %,&&& rupees '()%*+,-. but claimed he did not communicate with her and she did not belie e her statement was con eyed to anyone"

She has &een told to return to the 59 &ut $ay ha%e to "ait se%eral days &ecause the authorities said they "ere carryin# out extensi%e security chec s on her "li e ,*$ a cri$inal or so$ethin#"' The British 7i#h )o$$ission in )olo$&o said6 ":e are a"are o! the case and are pro%idin# appropriate consular assistance'"
Sensitivity of issue

Authorities re#ularly ta e strict action a#ainst percei%ed insults to Buddhis$, "hich is the reli#ion o! the island*s $a3ority ethnic Sinhalese' +s )ole$an arri%ed at Bandaranai e ,nternational Airport on +onday, ha%in# !lo"n !ro$ ,ndia' 7er tattoo !eatures a Buddha sittin# on top o! a lotus !lo"er' Last +arch, another British tourist "as denied entry at )olo$&o*s international airport &ecause i$$i#ration o!!icials said he had spo en "disrespect!ully" "hen as ed a&out a tattoo o! the Buddha on his ar$' Antony ;atcli!!e later spo e o! his "shoc " at the incident, insistin# that he !ollo"ed Buddhist teachin#s and thou#ht a tattoo "as an apt tri&ute' T"o years a#o, three 4rench tourists "ere #i%en suspended prison sentences !or issin# a Buddha statue' The 59 tra%el ad%ice on Sri Lan a "arns o! the sensiti%ity o! the issue and tells %isitors

not to pose !or photos in !ront o! statues o! Buddha' <%er the past year $on s &elon#in# to certain hardline Buddhist #roups ha%e led %iolent attac s a#ainst +usli$s and )hristians, a trend "hich has #i%en rise to considera&le concern a$on# reli#ious $inorities in Sri Lan a' (ao$i +ichelle )ole$an +s )ole$an is &ein# held in an i$$i#ration detention ca$p a"aitin# her re$o%al !ro$ Sri Lan a Buddha statue The Sri Lan an authorities ta e tou#h action a#ainst percei%ed insults to Buddhis$ &&c

Sri Lan a to British tourist6 =eported !or your loo s

Sri Lan a "ants tourists, &ut not "ith a Buddha tattoo' A tourist !ro$ the 5nited 9in#do$ is currently in a Sri Lan a detention 3ail !or her loo s' The British consulate is assistin# her, &ut deportation is i$$inent' Sri Lan an police said (ao$i +ichelle )ole$an, 37, "as arrested at Bandaranai e ,nternational Airport in the capital, )olo$&o, a!ter she arri%ed to Sri Lan a !ro$ ,ndia' A police spo es$an said she "as arrested !or >hurtin# others* reli#ious !eelin#s? a!ter the tattoo o! a Buddha seated on a lotus !lo"er "as spotted on her ri#ht ar$' Buddhis$ is the reli#ion o! the country*s $a3ority ethnic Sinhalese and Buddhist tattoos are seen as culturally insensiti%e' A!ter her arrest )ole$an appeared &e!ore a $a#istrate "ho ordered her deportation' The spo es$an said she is currently &ein# held at an i$$i#ration detention centre until deportation and said she "ould &e re$o%ed >%ery soon - it could &e to$orro" or the day a!ter to$orro"?' Antony ;atcli!!e "as reportedly deported !or sho"in# a Buddha tattoo on his ar$ in +arch last year' -(