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A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Monday, April 28, 2014
UK tourist complains of harassment
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
-April 24, 2014
UK National, Naomi Coleman (37), who was arrested under Section 291 B of the Penal Code for having a tattoo of the Buddha on her arm, complained that she was sexually harassed by Negombo Prison officials.
A nurse by profession, Coleman told Ceylon Today she was arrested Monday for violating the law, however, after the Court hearing, she was transferred to the deportation centre where she is now.
Describing the whole scenario as 'hellish', Coleman said she intends to file a case against Negombo Prison officials, who harassed her sexually, before she leaves. "I had the Buddha tattoo 10 years ago and travelled to Sri Lanka twice before. I was unaware of such arrest and detention for having a Buddha tattoo," she said.
Coleman, before being sent to the deportation centre for 'security clearance', was taken by the police to the Immigration and Emigration Department in Colombo where she was questioned.
"My air ticket has been cancelled since I did not travel on that day, and that cash would be reimbursed only after a couple of weeks in the UK, and I have no money. When I revealed this, the British High Commission told me that I shall be offered an air ticket through the Immigration Department," she said.
When Ceylon Today asked Police spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana, as to what Coleman's offence was, he said the Penal Code states, "Whoever, with the deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of persons, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both."
Coleman said she had arrived from India and went through the Immigration counter without any hassle. However, when she had come out of the taxi hiring counter at the exit lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), a driver following her had spotted the Buddha tattoo on her arm and reported her to a policeman in civvies, who was standing outside the exit area. He had later taken her to the Negombo Police Station in a white police van.
Coleman was produced before a Magistrate, who had ordered her to be deported.
She had asked a SSP why she had not been arrested previously when she had been in the country twice before with the same tattoo on her arm. He had said, "Perhaps, no one saw it then."
"I am a practising Buddhist, but this Buddhist country ripped me off nearly £ 300 over this incident. This is 'hellish.'" she said.
According to her, the taxi driver had claimed Rs 15,000 for dropping her friend from the airport to the Negombo Police Station. A prison warden had gone through her wallet and asked for money. "My cigarettes were taken and I don't know what else is there in my luggage," Coleman lamented. She even said that one of the prison officials had made a sexual remark at her.
She had paid Rs 5,000 (US$ 38) to a lawyer, who did not help her or appear for her but who had later told her she will be deported. The Magistrate or the lawyer did not read my statement, she alleged.
Having gone through the ordeal, Coleman intends to lodge a complaint before she leaves the country about the 'treatment' she received.
"I cried and still I am frightened," she said.
The SSP who called the Negombo Prison to verify her statement of sexual harassment and money plundered was, however, told that 'nothing of that sort had taken place.'
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
-April 24, 2014
UK National, Naomi Coleman (37), who was arrested under Section 291 B of the Penal Code for having a tattoo of the Buddha on her arm, complained that she was sexually harassed by Negombo Prison officials.
A nurse by profession, Coleman told Ceylon Today she was arrested Monday for violating the law, however, after the Court hearing, she was transferred to the deportation centre where she is now.
Describing the whole scenario as 'hellish', Coleman said she intends to file a case against Negombo Prison officials, who harassed her sexually, before she leaves. "I had the Buddha tattoo 10 years ago and travelled to Sri Lanka twice before. I was unaware of such arrest and detention for having a Buddha tattoo," she said.
Coleman, before being sent to the deportation centre for 'security clearance', was taken by the police to the Immigration and Emigration Department in Colombo where she was questioned.
"My air ticket has been cancelled since I did not travel on that day, and that cash would be reimbursed only after a couple of weeks in the UK, and I have no money. When I revealed this, the British High Commission told me that I shall be offered an air ticket through the Immigration Department," she said.
When Ceylon Today asked Police spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana, as to what Coleman's offence was, he said the Penal Code states, "Whoever, with the deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of persons, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both."
Coleman said she had arrived from India and went through the Immigration counter without any hassle. However, when she had come out of the taxi hiring counter at the exit lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), a driver following her had spotted the Buddha tattoo on her arm and reported her to a policeman in civvies, who was standing outside the exit area. He had later taken her to the Negombo Police Station in a white police van.
Coleman was produced before a Magistrate, who had ordered her to be deported.
She had asked a SSP why she had not been arrested previously when she had been in the country twice before with the same tattoo on her arm. He had said, "Perhaps, no one saw it then."
"I am a practising Buddhist, but this Buddhist country ripped me off nearly £ 300 over this incident. This is 'hellish.'" she said.
According to her, the taxi driver had claimed Rs 15,000 for dropping her friend from the airport to the Negombo Police Station. A prison warden had gone through her wallet and asked for money. "My cigarettes were taken and I don't know what else is there in my luggage," Coleman lamented. She even said that one of the prison officials had made a sexual remark at her.
She had paid Rs 5,000 (US$ 38) to a lawyer, who did not help her or appear for her but who had later told her she will be deported. The Magistrate or the lawyer did not read my statement, she alleged.
Having gone through the ordeal, Coleman intends to lodge a complaint before she leaves the country about the 'treatment' she received.
"I cried and still I am frightened," she said.
The SSP who called the Negombo Prison to verify her statement of sexual harassment and money plundered was, however, told that 'nothing of that sort had taken place.'
