Myanmar court jails three for insulting Buddhism

Phillip Blackwood, a New Zealand national, and his two business associates were sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment

A Myanmar court has sentenced a New Zealand bar manager and his two business associates to two years and six months in prison for insulting Buddhism.

The trio was convicted for posting a flyer on social media that showed a psychedelic depiction of Buddha wearing headphones.

Phillip Blackwood, 32, Tun Thurein, 40, and Htut Ko Ko Lwin, 26, were given two years on Tuesday for insulting religion and six months for disobeying an order from a public servant.

The trial of V Gastro Bar manager Blackwood, bar owner Tun Thurein and employee Htut Ko Ko Lwin came as the predominantly Buddhist nation grapples with a surge of religious nationalism, including violence against members of the minority Muslim community.

The three were arrested in December after the image was used on Facebook to promote the tapas bar and lounge, and sparked outrage on social media.

The online ad was removed and an apology was posted, but the three men were detained in Myanmar's notorious Insein prison.

'Freedom under threat'

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch said that, while the three men acted in a culturally insensitive way, they should not be sent to prison.

"What this shows is freedom of expression is under greater threat than ever in Burma [Myanmar], just as the country heads into a pivotal election year," The Associated Press quoted Robertson as saying.

Judge Ye Lwin said that although Blackwood posted an apology, he had "intentionally plotted to insult religious belief" when he uploaded the photo.

He added that it was "unreasonable only to blame the foreigner" when explaining the guilty verdicts for Tun Thurein and Htut Ko Ko Lwin.

Blackwood's parents, however, told Fairfax Media from their New Zealand home that they were shocked by the decision.

"We hoped common sense would prevail and he would be found not guilty because it was not a malicious or intentional act," Brian Blackwood, Phillip's father, said.

About half a dozen monks and Buddhist nationalists gathered outside the Yangon court to hear the verdict.

After the sentencing, Blackwood told reporters as he was getting into a police lorry that he would appeal.