Tourists Keep Baring Their Butts at Sacred Temple

Inappropriate photo shoots of one's buttocks seem to officially be a thing. A third set of tourists has allegedly been found doing just that at Cambodia's Angkor temple complex in broad daylight. The Cambodia Daily reports that two unnamed men around 30 years in age—one Italian, one Argentine—were allegedly spotted, bare-bottomed, by Ta Prohm temple guards at 2pm on Sunday. The guards say a 19-year-old Dutch woman was capturing their posteriors for posterity, and all three were arrested. Adding a slight ironic twist to the unwise shoot: The Ta Prohm sanctuary holds a giant face representing Prajnaparamita, which Atlas Obscura explains is "the personification of wisdom."

It's unclear what will happen next to the tourists: The Phnom Penh Post reports they face deportation, and the prosecutor is said to be weighing whether to summarily try the trio or pass the case to an investigating judge. But resolution doesn't seem to be coming as quickly as it did for two American sisters, who after being caught baring their bottoms in February, were deported the following day. In that case, Lindsey Adams, 22, and Leslie Adams, 20, were handed a $250 fine and suspended six-month prison sentence and were barred from entering the country for four years. Three French men were also booted from the country in February over a similar photo shoot. As for the three now in custody, Long Kosal, an official who oversees the temples, tells the AFP and the Phnom Penh Post, "Their action affects the value of our temples. ... No tourists can take off their clothes." (Meanwhile, on another continent...)