American sisters arrested for ‘taking naked photos’ in Cambodia’s Angkor Wat

“Perhaps they did not know Angkor is a holy site. But their inappropriate activities affect the sanctity of the place,” she added.

The woman “lowered their pants to their knees and took pictures of their buttocks,” according to Keat Bunthan, a local police official.

The Angkor complex, in the northern province of Siem Reap, was at the heart of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries. Since the 1990s it has been transformed into Cambodia’s leading tourist destination.

However, the tourist invasion, which has included many Britons, has taken its toll on the ancient ruins. Last year a Dutch tourist smashed a Buddha statue there while Cambodia authorities have been angered by a recent string of “nude” stunts at the holy site.

Three French tourists were arrested last month after being caught taking naked photos at the Banteay Kdei temple. They were subsequently deported.

Days earlier, there was outrage after a woman posed topless at the Angkor complex in photographs authorities slammed as “inconsiderate and pornographic”.

“Taking naked photos is an act that is totally against Khmer ethics and culture,” the Apsara Authority said.

Long Kosal, an official, blamed the topless images on a Chinese group that was “skilled in producing pornographic pictures”.

The Foreign Office travel advice for Cambodia tells British visitors: “When entering religious and cultural sites it is a courtesy to dress in appropriate clothing.

Source : Telegraph