Tourists convicted of pretending to kiss Buddha statue in Sri Lanka

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|| Tourists convicted of pretending to kiss Buddha statue in Sri Lanka ||

Three French tourists were convicted in a Sri Lankan court after taking pictures of themselves in which they pretended to kiss a Buddhist statue.

The BBC reports that the three tourists, two women and one man, were given suspended jail terms by the court in the southern Sri Lanka town of Galle after a photo lab that developed the pictures contacted police.

"Sri Lankans consider this statue to be sacred. They desecrated it. This is uncivilized behavior," Heritage Party spokesman Udaya Gammanpila told AFP. "We condemn this action of the three French tourists and urge Westerners to please respect our culture and act decently."

The trio received a sentence of six months hard labor in prison, suspended for five years, meaning they will not actually have to serve any time in jail. They were also reportedly given a small fine of 1,500 rupees ($11) by the court.
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A little respect, some local knowledge and common sense usually go a long way.

uggboy, Aug 22, 2012

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