Canadian Jason Polley, who teaches English literature at Baptist University, was on a month-long holiday when their trip to Myanmar took a rapid nose-dive due to a misguided tattoo.
The day he arrived in the Buddhist country someone snapped a picture of Polley’s tattoos, which depict Buddha repeatedly on his leg. The photo evidently went viral in Myanmar, reports CBC. Polley, 39, is a Mahayana Buddhist and says that the tattoos chart the development of Buddhism and its location on his leg symbolizes a pillar of support.
Five days after their arrival, Polley and his girlfriend, 23, were at a hotel north of Yangon when around 15 government officials showed up and interrogated them for over an hour.
“They said, ‘Why would you put these tattoos on your leg? You understand that you’re a Facebook star in Myanmar?” Polley recounted to the CBC.
Six officials apparently also repeatedly took photos of both him and his leg, and one even tried to physically grab him when he stood up.
They also took both their passports and, a few hours later at 10pm, put them on a 15-hour car ride back to Yangon airport.
In the morning, Polley and Lam managed to get in touch with friends in Hong Kong, who contacted both Canadian and Chinese officials. Chinese officials responded an hour later and convinced the Burmese officials to let the couple stay in Myanmar.
According to the SCMP, Polley has decided to cover up the tattoos, which he got in TST two years ago.
