British Woman To Be Deported From Sri Lanka Because Of Tattoo

 

37-year-old mental health nurse and British tourist from Coventry, Naomi Coleman who was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday after the airport authorities spotted a tattoo on her right arm is to be deported from Sri Lanka because she has a Buddha tattoo on.

Ms Coleman who was unaware of the sensitivity of Sri Lanka about images of the Buddha and also the tough actions they take against perceived insults to Buddhism was said to be arrested for "hurting others religious feeling" and was held at an immigration detention camp after a magistrate ordered her deportation. 

Narrating her ordeal, she said:
"I got to the airport in Sri Lanka. It was fine. They stamped my passport. There was no problem. 
"I had a short-sleeved top on which showed my tattoo which has got a Buddha on and another Hindu tattoo underneath. There was no problem 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've got a Buddha tattoo.'"

 
Ms Coleman who arrived in Sri Lanka from India reported to the police in a written statement as she said she practised Buddhism and had attended meditation retreats and workshops in Thailand, India, Cambodia and Nepal. She also said she had to spend Monday night in prison in Negombo, near the airport, after appearing in court. She said:
"I went on the stand, they called me. But they didn't let me speak or plead my case. They were just talking among themselves,"
"Then they said, 'You're being deported.' I said, 'I've got another trip booked to the Maldives, can I just go there, I'll leave Sri Lanka then.' They said, 'No, you'll have to be deported back to your home country and you'll need to go to prison for the night.'

Ms Coleman said she was persuaded to hire a lawyer for 5,000 rupees (£25/$38) but claimed he did not communicate with her and she did not believe her statement was conveyed to anyone.

She has been told to return to the UK but may have to wait several days because the authorities said they were carrying out extensive security checks on her "like I'm a criminal or something".
The British High Commission in Colombo said: "We are aware of the case and are providing appropriate consular assistance."

Authorities regularly take strict action against perceived insults to Buddhism, which is the religion of the island's majority ethnic Sinhalese.

 

 Ms Coleman's tattoo shows a Buddha sitting on a lotus flower

 

Source: BBC