The flyers were also posted online. Thousands of people in Myanmar posted complaints on social media websites such as Facebook saying that the image was insulting to their religion. The V Gastro is located in the Golden Valley area of Yangon and comes under the jurisdiction of Bahan Township.
The township’s police commander, lieutenant-colonel Thien Win, said officers had arrested the trio of men over the media furore. The commander added that a number of people affiliated to the Ma Ba Tha Buddhist nationalist faction had lodged complaints at Bahan’s police station.
Police named the three in custody as the V Gastro’s owner, Tun Thurein, manager Htut Ko Ko Lwin and Philip Blackwood, the general manager. Mr Blackwood is from New Zealand and the other two are from Myanmar.
They were due in court late yesterday and were looking at possible jail terms of up to two years under the national religion act. The V Gastro remained closed last night and police officers were stationed outside it.
Buddha caricature lands Myanmar bar staff in jail
News in Asia
Police in the Myanmar city of Yangon have arrested three men for using a caricature of the Lord Buddha in an advertising flyer. The management of the V Gastro Bar were taken into custody for distributing images depicting a multi-coloured Buddha with a pair of headphones on.