A former bar manager has been jailed in Burma after sharing a picture of the Buddha wearing headphones on Facebook.
Philip Blackwood was sentenced to two and half years in prison with hard labour after posting what the court heard was an offensive image on the Facebook page for V Gastro bar, Yangon.
The advert featured a blue Buddha in a trance-like state wearing large headphones, alongside promotional offers for drinks.
It sparked outrage when it was shared on the social networking site last year and was subsequently deleted.
Blackwood, 32, originally from New Zealand, was jailed along with two former colleagues, bar owner Tun Thurein and barman Htut Ko Ko Lwin, who were also given two-and-a-half year sentences.
The trio were found guilty of insulting religion and for disobeying an order from a public servant.
A group of monks and hardline Buddhists gathered outside the Yangon court to hear the verdict.
Blackwood told reporters he would appeal his sentence, AFP reported.
Burma has seen a surge of religious nationalism in recent years, prompting violence against members of the minority Muslim community.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said what the three men did was culturally insensitive but said they should not be sent to prison.
He said: "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."
