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[casiopao]

Add Myanmar to a nation you never want to visit.

They just lucky this dude isnt an american.

If u are an idiot like this man who don't give a damn about other countries laws, tradition and culture. I suggest u to stay in your country lol.

Each country had their own culture and laws. If you break it, you are going to pay for it lol. Being negligence will not save you from everything.

 

[Dancing Queen]

Deserved if you ask me. And come on, it's three months. He will survive. Don't disrespect the country you are for no reason. Unplugging the thing wouldn't solve a thing.

 

[casiopao]

Deserved if you ask me. And come on, it's three months. He will survive. Don't disrespect the country you are for no reason. Unplugging the thing wouldn't solve a thing.

Agreed. A bit harsh on the punishment sure. But the man is still stupid for doing this.

I mean, if u come to India, and when u wanted to sleep, u keep hearing the cows keep mooing, will u go down and kick the hell out of the cows which in India is a sacred being? U don't do that. U just grit ur teeth and go back to sleep.

And if u can't handle the country culture, u move out. U don't go there and try to force ur style to someone like u are the only correct one.

 

[Chuckie]

I am seriously baffled people are saying this is deserved. 3 months of hard labor is deserved? Da fuq?

If a tourist gets raped in Saudi Arabia and is sentenced to prison is it also deserved because she should have known the law?

While it is true that you should abide by the law when you visit a country, that doesn't mean laws can't be fucking ridiculous. And this is a fucking ridiculous law.

 

[*Splinter]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ring-awful-conditions-in-myanmar-jail?0p19G=c

Read before Myanmar defense force shows up.

It's an article about a British prisoner (sentenced for blasphemy. Lol. Blasphemy.) Now he faces a cruel and unusual punishment.

How is that relevant to this case?

 

[Chuckie]

How is that relevant to this case?

Well it is another case of someone getting a ridiculous harsh punishment and as a result is rotting away in a hell of a prison.

But I guess when in Rome...

 

[KingSnake]

The sentence is too harsh.

But you shouldn't do this kind of thing anywhere. You're not the police, you have no authority to even decide that something is too loud and take action in that direction. Even if you think the other is in the wrong you should address the issue to the police if they don't act willingly once asked. Taking the matter in your own hands when you have no authority should be the last resort and almost always can have consequences. Being sleepy doesn't excuse shit.

You wouldn't normally go and cut the rope of a bell in a church because it's too loud.

Especially if you're in a foreign country and you don't understand the language. Address it first with the people at the hotel or ask one of them to come with you to talk. Then go to the police. Or leave it alone and move the next day.

 

[radios shipping overview]

So law enforcement turns a blind eye to the local dominant religion? I am shocked.

http://www.bps.lk/olib/mi/mi005-u.html

Buddhist village and city temples are among the worst sound-polluters in the world. In Burma, loud chanting of the huge Abhidhamma text called Patthána is blared for hours and days from loudspeakers. In Sri Lanka very slow and long drawn “protective” (paritta) chanting is sometimes chanted through loudspeakers for the whole night until dawn. Many people in Sri Lanka don’t need to use an alarm clock and are automatically forced to wake up at 5 am every day because Buddhist “protective” chanting recordings are blared from neighbourhood temple loudspeakers for an hour. The Uposatha or observance days, when Buddhist laypeople come to the monasteries and take the eight precepts, are often the noisiest days because of the five-precept chanting and sermons blared over loudspeakers. Likewise in Thailand and Cambodia Buddhist ceremonies (and any kind of ceremonies and meetings) are not complete without loudspeakers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/15/buddhist-festivals-myanmar_n_6679404.html

U Ngwe Khee, a Mandalay taxi driver, lives near a Buddhist Dharma center where monks use loudspeakers to play music and announce how much money each person has donated from the area.

“We have already contributed cash and they have collected money door-to-door in our area,” Ngwe Khee said. “They should not ask for more donations by making noise. The noise is very disruptive and disappointing.”

U Hla Sein, a retired teacher in Mandalay, agrees.

“They should have more understanding, since this is a religious activity,” he said. “They play music before religious ceremonies but the music is not related to faith at all. But because they refer to religion, we cannot complain.”

This sounds really shitty, tbh.

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/sp...4/12232-sounding-off-on-noise-violations.html

During the Kahtein festival, the biggest donation festival of Buddhism, which was held earlier this month, people go out around the city to collect money for monasteries from well-wishers. They put amplifiers on trishaws, cars, and even trucks to let everyone know they are coming. The soundtrack ranges from traditional Myanmar songs to South Korea’s mega-hit “Gangnam Style”, all played at ear-splitting volume. One wonders how the people pushing the trishaws or riding in the cars can stand being that close to the speakers without losing their hearing altogether. Of course, maybe they already have, and that’s why they keep turning it louder.

????????????

Street vendors; portable personal music players; festival stages; store promotions; religious sermons through loudspeakers; roving fundraising groups you can hear a mile off – all in all, the city, and especially downtown, is a pretty noisy place to be. And that’s with even mentioning all the car horns.

But telling people to be quiet is simply not done in polite Myanmar culture. These days, it’s up to the grandmothers to start taking a stand.

So it's not polite to tell people to stop being impolite? How does that work?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anade

Ana (Burmese: အားနာမှ&#4143 is a Burmese cultural and social value that has no English equivalent and is manifested by very strong inhibitions (hesitation, reluctance, restraint, or avoidance) against asserting oneself in human relations based on the fear that it will offend someone or cause someone to lose face, or become embarrassed. Ana also involves a strong sense of consideration for others' feelings and a desire not to cause them to feel psychological distress, unease, or burden. Ana significantly shapes interpersonal relationships and pervades everyday social interactions, as well as political and social behaviors in Burmese society.

It sounds like the local culture is ill-equipped to deal with a problem where lots of people generate so much noise that it causes many people distress, so the problem just goes on without anybody stepping in.

 

[pfkas]

I guess this is not the right time for nirvana unplugged.

This post sent me into a Satori.

 

[Fallout-NL]

3 months? He'll live.

Don't be so sure.

 

[televator]

At worst, this should have been a fine. Sweet Buddha's zombie!

 

[siddx]

I mean is was dumb of him. But having spent time in Myanmar and Sri Lanka and having heard exactly what he is describing at ungodly hours, often going on for seems like forever, I also get it as well.
I thought dealing with the call the prayer from multiple mosques in our neighborhood was obnoxious, but at least it doesn't go on for eternity.
Really I'm against anything that disturbs others with loud noise against their will, whether it's call to prayers or church bells.

Myanmar and Sri Lanka also feature Buddhism at its absolute worst. Twisted and corrupted and used as money and power making scheme.

 

[Ethelwulf]

3 months for unplugging, damn. Not saying this was ok but those of you saying he deserves it, wow.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

Learn about the place you're gonna visit then decide if you want to go.

Simple as that

 

[Chainsawkitten]

3 months? He'll live.

He's sentenced to hard labour so it depends on where he's sentenced to and how things have improved. And of course on whether the rest of the world will keep an eye on him. He can definitely expect torture, though.

 

[Jackpot]

I don't even care about the reason but screw this guy. I want him to suffer. How do you go to someone else's house and try to make the rules? Not your culture, not your country, not your religion, yet this pompous, arrogant, selfish, disrespectful prick is going to try and do things his way?

Hard labor isn't hard enough. He needs that cane across his ass too.

He's be sentenced to three months of torture for unplugging a speaker. What the fuck is wrong with you?

 

[Moosichu]

I don't even care about the reason but screw this guy. I want him to suffer. How do you go to someone else's house and try to make the rules? Not your culture, not your country, not your religion, yet this pompous, arrogant, selfish, disrespectful prick is going to try and do things his way?

Hard labor isn't hard enough. He needs that cane across his ass too.

So he unplugged the speaker of what he thought were rabblerousers and he deserves 3 months of torture? What?

 

[Herbspiceguy]

How are people so sure he will receive "3 months of torture"?
Couldn't find anything on Google so I was just wondering.

 

[shintoki]

Myanmar and Sri Lanka also feature Buddhism at its absolute worst. Twisted and corrupted and used as money and power making scheme.

It's corrupt money making bullshit, protected by the government and officials. Very definition of people in power with masses having their heads up their asses. While I'm not sure about those ones, I absolutely hated this shit when I went to South East Asian.

 

[Chuckie]

Is thinking it is OK to put someone in a hellish jail for a long time, probably getting tortured for blasphemy an example of what they call 'regressive left'?

 

[Daria Morgendorffer]

Agreed. A bit harsh on the punishment sure. But the man is still stupid for doing this.

I mean, if u come to India, and when u wanted to sleep, u keep hearing the cows keep mooing, will u go down and kick the hell out of the cows which in India is a sacred being? U don't do that. U just grit ur teeth and go back to sleep.

And if u can't handle the country culture, u move out. U don't go there and try to force ur style to someone like u are the only correct one.

Do you really think people will take your comments seriously if you keep saying "u" "u" "u", if you want to make a good argument please try to use real words.
Sorry this just really bothered me. I'm not trying to disregard your opinion but it would help bringing your viewpoint across better.

 

[Stereogatari]

These aren't your typical buddhists, these guys are pretty damn racist and militant.

"Typical Buddhists" is a Western pop culture meme.

 

[Impulsor]

If u are an idiot like this man who don't give a damn about other countries laws, tradition and culture. I suggest u to stay in your country lol.

Each country had their own culture and laws. If you break it, you are going to pay for it lol. Being negligence will not save you from everything.

Laws, tradition and culture can still be stupid and irrational.

Unplugging a fucking speaker should not be a reason for imprsionment anywhere in the world, period.

 

[Langdon Alger]

If this happened in reverse, literally no one would be defending the Netherlands.

 

[Tadaima]

If u are an idiot like this man who don't give a damn about other countries laws, tradition and culture. I suggest u to stay in your country lol.

Each country had their own culture and laws. If you break it, you are going to pay for it lol. Being negligence will not save you from everything.

Yeah, Myanmar has its own culture and laws. And this specific temple was breaking Maynmar's laws, which were clearly in place to prevent idiots like this one from waking in the middle of the night.

The Dutchman laid down the law, but he should have called the local PD (lol) or at least asked the hostel manager to do something about it.

 

[B.O.O.M]

I mean is was dumb of him. But having spent time in Myanmar and Sri Lanka and having heard exactly what he is describing at ungodly hours, often going on for seems like forever, I also get it as well.
I thought dealing with the call the prayer from multiple mosques in our neighborhood was obnoxious, but at least it doesn't go on for eternity.
Really I'm against anything that disturbs others with loud noise against their will, whether it's call to prayers or church bells.

Myanmar and Sri Lanka also feature Buddhism at its absolute worst. Twisted and corrupted and used as money and power making scheme.

This is a rather ignorant comment to make, at least about Sri Lanka. Most of the temples in Sri Lanka are not about money and power making schemes at all. Most are about local communities and bringing people together. Doesn't sound like you know much about what you're talking about and is generalizing/overblowing whatever little experience you had

and no, you just don't go into another country, act like an idiot, and try to justify it. The Buddhist chants and prayers are part of Sri Lankan culture. If you don't like it? Stay away, it's just not the culture for you

and I find the ungodly hour thing hilarious. Again I guess it's a different cultural issue.

 

[Impulsor]

If this happened in reverse, literally no one would be defending the Netherlands.

I hope so, because if it happened in reverse it would still be stupid.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

So according to GAF drawing caricatures of Muhammad is okay but unplugging a fucking speaker is ground for prison and torture.

 

[shintoki]

Laws, tradition and culture can still be stupid and irrational.

Unplugging a fucking speaker should not be a reason for imprsionment anywhere in the world, period.

See, this is what I don't get.

This isn't some tourists who decide to go to a holy site and strip. Or some dumbasses who decide to vandalize a momentum. Or someone trying to steal a propaganda poster. This is someone who got pissed they were playing loud music at night which they even state, was against their own laws, so he unplugged a speaker... No damage was done, no mockery made, nothing. It's literally just putting the plug back in. It's not like it was someone intentionally going out of their way to do something offensive.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

This is a rather ignorant comment to make, at least about Sri Lanka. Most of the temples in Sri Lanka are not about money and power making schemes at all. Most are about local communities and bringing people together. Doesn't sound like you know much about what you're talking about and is generalizing/overblowing whatever little experience you had

and no, you just don't go into another country, act like an idiot, and try to justify it. The Buddhist chants and prayers are part of Sri Lankan culture. If you don't like it? Stay away, it's just not the culture for you

and I find the ungodly hour thing hilarious. Again I guess it's a different cultural issue.

Yea, I lived near a mosque in Dubai and Muslim prayer calls are also sounded over speaker phones - one of which occurs very early in the morning.

When it's part of the norm you don't even notice it, I could sleep past it no problem... The only time I would hear someone complain about it is if it is a totally new thing for them

Oh well

 

[RocknRola]

Whelp. Seems quite a bit excessive to be honest. It's not like he destroyed anything, he just unplugged an amp, from what I understood.

Now had he destroyed an 126 year old statue or carved his name into timeless buildings then yeah, a hefty fine or even jail time would have seemed somewhat appropriate.

This case in particular just seems a bit too much.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

The punishment doesn't befit the crime at all, not to mention that the guy has no failsafes in prison probably doesn't speak the local language and could legit just die for a minor altercation.

 

[Nostremitus]

He went to a Buddhist temple and unplugged their speakers during worship.

He's paying the price for his actions in the country he chose to visit.
In the U.S. this would be trespassing and obstructing religious practice. Obstructing someone's right to religious practice in the U.S. can get you up to a year in prison. But use of force would be the deciding factor on that...

Still, he made a deliberate choice to ba an asshole and broke the laws of the place in which he was a guest in doing do...


Sucks for him, but he did this to himself.

It's not like it's a trumped up charge or anything...

 

[Always-honest]

Ridiculous sentence imo.
One country i will never ever visit.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Don't do stupid things when abroad.

It's a dumb sentence. But again: don't do stupid things abroad.


So many people have visited Myanmar without any problems.

 

[KingSnake]

So according to GAF drawing caricatures of Muhammad is okay but unplugging a fucking speaker is ground for prison and torture.

Drawing caricatures of Muhammad is not against the law in France and Denmark.

 

[Chainsawkitten]

How are people so sure he will receive "3 months of torture"?
Couldn't find anything on Google so I was just wondering.

In terms of mortality rates for prisoners engaged in hard labour in Myanmar, the only statistics I could find are from 1995, and I'm certainly hoping those are in no way valid anymore.

In terms of torture, I have a hard time finding anything relating to Myanmar prisons online that isn't about squalid conditions and abuse.

 

[Nostremitus]

So according to GAF drawing caricatures of Muhammad is okay but unplugging a fucking speaker is ground for prison and torture.

Drawing a caricature of Muhammad isn't disrupting other people's rights to practice their religious beliefs. Hell, even in the U.S. his actions would have been illegal.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

I doubt that they will torture a foreign national.

Hold, and serve, yes


I mean within their sovereignty.

 

[Chuckie]

Drawing a caricature of Muhammad isn't disrupting other people's rights to practice their religious beliefs. Hell, even in the U.S. his actions would have been illegal.

The sentence should have been a fine, not three months hard labor. It is barbaric.

Fuck extreme cultural relativism.

I doubt that they will torture a foreign national.

Hold, and serve, yes.

You'd be wrong

 

[CSJ]

If u are an idiot like this man who don't give a damn about other countries laws, tradition and culture. I suggest u to stay in your country lol.

Each country had their own culture and laws. If you break it, you are going to pay for it lol. Being negligence will not save you from everything.

I didn't think unplugging a speaker system was against a law in any country that's punishable that harshly.
That's not something you come across often, if anything slap on the wrist for disrupting other peoples property etc.

It's also harsh for me to say but it's true, some places have backwards laws; that's why I will never step foot in these places.

 

[Nostremitus]

The sentence should have been a fine, not three months hard labor. It is barbaric.

Fuck extreme cultural relativism.

Indeed, he should not have assumed that he could do whatever he wanted when visiting a country of a different culture.

He was the one displaying cultural relativism in this case. He took it upon himself to decided that the norms of his home should extend to the place in which he was a visitor.

I currently live in a country in which the prisons are less amicable than the ones from my home country. Thus, I obey the local laws.

It takes a special combination of stupid and entitled to do what this guy did. I don't agree with barbaric prisons, but you can't argue that the guy didn't do anything wrong. He chose to go there, and chose to act like an asshat and disrespected the local customs and culture and broke their laws.

 

[Red Arremer]

edit: does the US recognise this country as Myanmar?

...yes? Why wouldn't they? Both Myanmar and Burma are used by official US organizations.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

wrong

That's just being cruel. Nullify my comments.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Drawing a caricature of Muhammad isn't disrupting other people's rights to practice their religious beliefs. Hell, even in the U.S. his actions would have been illegal.

Unplugging a speaker will not have you thrown in jail in the US. People probably won't even report you for something I think, but just throw you out and be done with it.

 

[StayDead]

You'd be wrong

Wow, that's barbaric o_o

 

[Beefy]

All the people saying they agree with the sentence is just....

 

[LostCaress]

I'd go with at least unfair for this one :|

 

[KingSnake]

The sentence should have been a fine, not three months hard labor. It is barbaric.

The sentence is way too severe. But what he did would be punishable also somewhere else.

One should be aware of these things when travelling abroad. Like how you can be sentenced to death in Malaysia for drug possesion. Or if you get away lightly, just canning.

If you think it's probable that you break the law and can't control yourself, you better not travel too much.

 

[Chuckie]

Indeed, he should not have assumed that he could do whatever he wanted when visiting a country of a different culture.

He was the one displaying cultural relativism in this case. He took it upon himself to decided that the norms of his home should extend to the place in which he was a visitor.

I currently live in a country in which the prisons are less amicable than the ones from my home country. Thus, I obey the local laws.

It takes a special combination of stupid and entitled to do what this guy did. I don't agree with barbaric prisons, but you can't argue that the guy didn't do anything wrong. He chose to go there, and chose to act like an asshat and disrespected the local customs and culture and broke their laws.

That is not what cultural relativism is. Thinking that this guy deserves that kind of punishment for something as small as unplugging a speaker is extreme cultural relativism.
In some countries you can get lashes for getting raped. Because that means you committed adultery. Should people respect that law too?