Customs confiscate seized Time magazine consignment

Rasika Somarathna

Sri Lanka Customs sources yesterday said an imported consignment of the July 1 issue of the Time magazine, which it seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport a few days back, has been confiscated.

Customs spokesman Lesley Gamini said a batch of the latest edition of the Time magazine imported to the country was held for its cover story which focuses on rising religious tension in Myanmar.

The cover story of the July 1 issue of the Time magazine titled ‘The Face of Buddhist Terror’ features Myanmar’s Buddhist monk Wirathu, who leads the 969 movement.

Gamini said that a report has been submitted to the Director General of Customs regarding the confiscation.

He also said that under the Customs Ordinance, the department had the powers to prohibit such import considering their harmful impact on society.

“The magazine has been held under Customs laws and the Customs laws only,” he noted insisting there was no outside pressure.

He said this was not the first time the customs has confiscated such printed material.

He cited the seizure of the controversial novel Satanic Verses written by Salman Rushdie sometime back as an example.