In a development reminscent of not so recent history, a tourist in Bagan is in hot water after his Buddha tattoo was discovered by local authorities.
Photos posted to the (not so reliable) Myanmar Update News Agency Facebook page show tourist police taking photos of the man and seemingly detaining him.
“A Spanish guy with Buddha image tattoo on his leg was investigated by the police in Bagan,” the post, which went up on Sunday, reads. It’s unclear if he was facing deportation or not.
We were unable to immediately confirm the story with police in Bagan, but it sounds similar to one in 2014 when a Canadian tourist had some problems because of his Buddha tattoo.
Images and depictions of the Buddha are not forbidden, but the issue is more sensitive in Myanmar and Sri Lanka than it is in other Buddhist countries in the region.
Last year a New Zealander was convicted of “offending religion” for posting an image of the Buddha with psychedelic background on the Facebook page of his bar. He spent more than a year in prison before being released in a pardon in January.
This is a developing news story, please check back later for more updates
