Myanmar: Punk band says sorry for insulting religion

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar (AA) - A famous punk band in Myanmar has apologized to the southeast Asian country’s majority Buddhist community for photos seen as insulting religion, their lead singer told Anadolu Agency.

Punk group Rebel Riot Monday posted on Facebook photos of its three members dressed as Buddha, Jesus, and Shiva.

The photos, taken for a fashion magazine during a visit to Thailand, went viral and angered a number of social media users, mostly Buddhists, who accused the band of posting the photos to intentionally insult religions.

A member of Ma Ba Tha -- a monk-led, ultra-nationalist group -- threatened to sue the band for insulting religion, a charge carrying penalties of up to two years in prison or a fine or both.

Lead singer Kyaw Kyaw told Anadolu Agency on Friday that he apologized to senior monks of Ma Ba Tha at their headquarters in Yangon on Thursday.

“We explained them that we had no intention to insult religions, just to make performances of religious harmony or peaceful coexistence,” he said in a telephone interview.

The band also posted a letter of apology after removing the photos from their Facebook page.

“We are sorry to have upset people unintentionally,” it said.

Three years ago, the band launched their own branch of Food Not Bombs – the worldwide volunteer movement for providing food to those in poverty – in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon.