Myanmar Sentences 3 for Insulting Buddhism

A court in Myanmar sentenced a bar manager and two colleagues to two and a half years in prison Tuesday for using an image of Buddha in a flyer that a judge said insulted Buddhism.

The flyer promoting discounted drinks and electronic music at VGastro Bar appeared on Facebook in December showing Buddha in vibrant colors wearing large headphones. It was later replaced by an apology.

The court in Yangon sentenced Philip Blackwood of New Zealand and Tun Thurien and Htut Ko Ko Lwin of Myanmar to two years of hard labor for insulting religion and another six months for disobeying an order from a public servant.

The case comes as Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, is seeing a surge in Buddhist nationalism.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said the sentences handed down Tuesday showed "freedom of expression is under greater threat than ever in Burma just as the country heads into a pivotal election year.''

"The authorities should accept the heartfelt public apology of the three men, vacate the conviction, and order them to be released immediately and unconditionally," he said in a statement. (VOA)