Foreigner arrested in Myanmar for allegedly disrespecting Buddhism.
Foreign National Arrested in Myanmar for Allegedly Insulting Buddhism
A Swiss citizen has been arrested in military-ruled Myanmar for creating a film that allegedly insulted Buddhism, according to state media reports on Saturday.
Didier Nusbaumer, 52, was taken into custody on Aug. 8, along with 13 Myanmar nationals, including a 12-year-old girl, as reported by the Myanma Alinn newspaper.
Insulting Buddhism is considered a punishable offense in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where religious nationalism has been on the rise. Approximately 90% of the population in Myanmar practices Buddhism.
The news report states that Nusbaumer wrote, filmed, and edited a 75-minute movie titled ”Don’t Expect Anything,” which was uploaded on YouTube on July 24. Short clips from the movie circulated on social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook, drawing criticism from Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar.
“Although the people in the film’s main roles are Buddhist, they behaved inappropriately and degraded the dignity and morals of monks through their physical gestures and dialogue,” the media report stated.
The report did not disclose the location where the suspects are being held.
Myanmar has been under the control of its army since February 2021, when it seized power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Nusbaumer is not the first foreigner to be detained in Myanmar on charges of insulting Buddhism.
In March 2015, a New Zealand citizen was sentenced to 2 1/2 years imprisonment with hard labor for insulting Buddhism in an online advertisement that depicted Buddha wearing DJ-style headphones. He was deported the following year after being arrested with two Myanmar nationals.
In October 2016, a Dutch tourist was jailed for three months with hard labor for insulting Buddhism after he unplugged a loudspeaker used by Buddhist monks to broadcast a late-night sermon in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. He was deported after serving his jail term.
During the same year, a Spanish tourist was deported from Myanmar after authorities discovered a tattoo of Buddha on his leg.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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