Batticaloa politician blazes against bikini billboard

A Billboard put up by the Tourism Bureau of Eastern Provincial Council near the Kallady Bridge, Batticaloa has irked a former provincial councillor from the region.

The billboard, among other pictures has the image of two male and female foreigners. The female is clad in a bikini.

The ex- Provincial councillor Shibly Farook has written to the President complaining about the billboard saying “…the image displayed in this billboard has some cultural implications. The particular image shows a foreign couple in swim suits enjoying the coastal environment. Many Sri Lankans raise concerns about cultural suitability of this image”

“Sri Lanka consists of rich cultural and religious traditions followed by people of all major ethnicities of Sri Lanka. This particular image does not represent the cultural background of inhabitants. Rather, it tarnishes the cultural image of Sri Lanka,” the letter added.The letter noted that ‘the cultural identity of Sri Lanka should be reflected in our tourism development initiatives.”

Wonder what the natives of Beruwela- Bentota have to say about the complaint.