A court in Mandalay has sentenced today a Dutch tourist Klaas Haytema to 3 months imprisonment under section 296 of the criminal code for insulting the religion. He was also handed an additional 6 month term or the payment of a K100, 000 fine for breach of an immigration law. The 30 year-old Dutch man was accused of disconnecting the amplifier a religious congregation hall in Maha Aung Myay Township, Mandalay Region on September 23 in. He had been charged under section 295 of the penal code for intentional insult to religious feelings or beliefs. He was sentenced after he was produced in the court for sixth time. He made his first court appearance on 28 September. The police had to be summoned to protect him from an angry crowd that surrounded his hotel on 23 September and demanded that he be handed over to them. They dispersed only when the authorities promised to take legal action against him. Mr Haytema told the court that he did not know it was a religious building, as it was seen from the outside as any other buildings. He also told the court that the speaker was playing throughout the day and the night so he went inside the building first requested to tone down the voice, as his request was rejected, he took out the wire from the speaker. Although he was initially charged under the section 296 of penal code an additional charge under the section 295 which is related an attempt to disrupt a religious practice was also imposed on him. In other insult to relation case involving a foreigner, a New Zealander bar manager was sentenced to two years imprisonment last year after he posted a picture of Buddha wearing a headphone on the social media. Ref : Myanmar Times http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/mandalay-upper-myanmar/22970-dutch-tourist-sentenced-to-three-months-for-disturbing-dhamma-sermon.html