A 37-year-old British nurse has been arrested and deported from Sri Lanka for sporting a Buddha tattoo deemed offensive by authorities.
Naomi Coleman was arrested at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport after her arrival on a flight from India.
"I am a practising Buddhist and meditate. That is why I have the tattoo – not out of disrespect for Buddhism," she said.
Authorities spotted the tattoo of a Buddha sitting on a locus flower on her right arm, said the BBC.
Coleman said that she was never told what charges were brought against her, but was held for six hours and harassed by police for bribes.
Sri Lanka, a majority Buddhist nation, is highly sensitive to perceived insults to the religion.
The Australian government’s travel advice for Sri Lanka includes a warning: "Travellers with tattoos of Buddha images should keep these covered at all times."
