Sri Lanka to deport Buddha tattoo British woman

COLOMBO: -- A British tourist is to be deported from Sri Lanka because of a Buddha tattoo on her arm.

Naomi Coleman was arrested as she arrived at the airport in the capital Colombo after authorities spotted the tattoo on her right arm.

A police spokesman said the 37-year-old from Coventry was arrested for "hurting others' religious feelings".

Ms Coleman is being held at an immigration detention camp after a magistrate ordered her deportation.

She is expected to be removed within days.

Sri Lanka is particularly sensitive about images of the Buddha.

Practised religion
Ms Coleman said there was initially no problem with officials but two taxi drivers and a plain clothes police officer told her she was breaking the law and brought her to a police station to make a statement.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27107857

-- BBC 2014-04-23

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Arhhh Religion ! You have just got to love the way it brings the people of the world closer together.

Keep the country free of tattoos that can hurt religious feelings and we have no other problems at all .....

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Not only the UK ......

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Err, would that mean deporting followers of Islam from England for examples and just the start?

Who is our Queen and what religion is she the head of?

It's her country so why not?

Does it really require the followers of Buddhism to adorn themselves with images in tattoos?

This woman and the other guy would have us believe it.

Although I wonder how an amulet on a chain (or 7) would be regarded in Sri Lanka, not really different .

I have a cousin who seems to be besotted with Buddha images, and has a lot of tats........perhaps they should consider how these images are considered by people who really do follow the religion.

Ms Coleman doesn't look like the sharpest tool in the box.

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Absolutely correct,now let the UK get rid of all the dross which,as a tax payer costs me money.Oh wait Human Rights.

I don't think you would get buy with a tattoo of Mohammad in a lot of places, either.

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

True..... and their ignorance too.

Does it really require the followers of Buddhism to adorn themselves with images in tattoos?

This woman and the other guy would have us believe it.

Although I wonder how an amulet on a chain (or 7) would be regarded in Sri Lanka, not really different .

I have a cousin who seems to be besotted with Buddha images, and has a lot of tats........perhaps they should consider how these images are considered by people who really do follow the religion.

Ms Coleman doesn't look like the sharpest tool in the box.

Not required but common practice, her tat is well done.... The Sri Lankans are just being "primitives" finding insult when none is intended shows they have not studdied their religion well enough.

I don't think Sri Lanka is being primitive. It's primitive to carve up your own body.

Funny how some people believe that it is their right to be able to do what ever they want and go any where in the world as they like.

That is not the way it works.

In Phuket airport there is a sign saying that Buddha images shall not be taken out of Thailand. The same could be applied here. I saw a girl and a guy in 2009 being told they could not leave the airport unless their tatoos were removed. I do not know the outcome, but the arguement did get rather heated. Becarefull what you tattoo on your body.

If a country has highly unusual customs such as a fetish about seated figure images, they should make that clear if they are marketing their tourism industry to the world as S.L. does .... perhaps they are content to keep their pedo market share or whatever but it is quite primitive to not accept that not all accept or agree with your fetish.

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Not only the UK ......

Yes, goes for Scandinavia too..

I don't think Sri Lanka is being primitive. It's primitive to carve up your own body.

Your not Jewish then ?.................

Funny how some people believe that it is their right to be able to do what ever they want and go any where in the world as they like.

That is not the way it works.

Say that to a "asylum" seeker in Scandinavia.. That's how it works.

Just wondering if the reason was really that she was a western person with a Buddha tattoo, I am not so sure if a Thai, or other Asian national would have been deported for same.

I don't think Sri Lanka is being primitive. It's primitive to carve up your own body.

Your not Jewish then ?.................

I think your talking about something else. I don't think they check that closely, but if they did, I would have to say, I didn't consent to the carving. I wasn't even asked.

Just wondering if the reason was really that she was a western person with a Buddha tattoo, I am not so sure if a Thai, or other Asian national would have been deported for same.

The poor fella looks like he woke up and realized that his friends had played a nasty prank on him.

Back to the topic: Locking people up and deporting them for a bit of innocuous ink on their body has nothing to do with Buddhism. The Lord Buddha would have shaken his head at the ignorance of his deluded Sri Lankan followers.

Srilankan embassy in London should maybe add the no images on body to their visa issue qualification.

The whole world is turning stupid ! My sympathies to the poor woman who just wanted to enjoy a nice holiday.

If it was a tatt of Buddha sat on a toilet or playing football or some such I could understand it being seen as an insult. Her tatt is nicely done and is surely glorifying Buddhism if anything rather than insulting it. Pure ridiculousness.

I could understand banning any woman with a tattoo, but don't get why that one is being singled out. As was said in the last post, if anything it is glorifying Buddhism and is very nicely done.

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Yeah, really? The UK government signed up to the European Court of Human Rights; Sri Lanka didn't. A shame really 'cos then they might not have murdered so many Tamils in cold blood.

Right ! There lay the problem. Western democracies place themselves behind the eight ball with all these binding law agreements and Mr Nice Guy programs they sign up to. When the rest of the world plays on as normal. Those that play by the rules will never out do those who don't.

religion spoils everything, every time, everywhere...

(edit: and that includes religions that claim not to be religions)

All this grandstanding and pontificating about "Buddhist culture" violates the precepts of Buddhism.

A true Buddhist doesn't stoop so low. Let's leave the sanctimonious faux outrage to the Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Lord Buddha was a cool dude who would have said: "A tempest in a teacup. What's the fuss?"

It's their country, they have the right to refuse entry or deport who they so wish. The UK should have a think about that.

Yeah, really? The UK government signed up to the European Court of Human Rights; Sri Lanka didn't. A shame really 'cos then they might not have murdered so many Tamils in cold blood.

Might there be a slight chance that Sri Lanka is not in Europe?

European countries can sign the European Human Rights act, Sri Lanka could not, even if they wanted... got it?

Then, if people would read the news, they could have a second thought before visiting Sri Lanka:

March 2013 - Briton deported

Feb 2013 - Dutch woman

2012 - 3 French

Read the news, think of the tattoo you have and choose another country for your holiday, right?

It ain't done much to improve her looks.....

Petty, stupid jobsworths are unfortunately to be found the world over.