Source: TODAY online

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/19252.asp

On May 15, 2004 TODAY online reported, "They called it their 'Asian Floral Tankini,' a tankini being a bikini with a tank top-like upper part. Floral indeed it was, with colourful, luxuriant flowers emblazoned on the material. And the 'Asian' element? Well, along with the flowers there were images of Buddha and Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings). This swimwear item was featured in American lingerie-maker Victoria's Secret's The Hot Issue Swim 2004 Mexico catalogue and on its website. As with all other product pictures in its catalogue, the Asian Floral Tankini was modelled by a voluptuous young woman in a provocative pose. Buddhists around the world took offence at this use of Buddhist images on intimate clothing. Thailand's main religious authority, The Bureau of National Buddhism, was reported to have sent a letter of protest through the Thai Foreign Ministry to Victoria's Secret, calling the sale of the tankini "insulting'...Mr Mg Yin Mg, a 33-year-old Myanmar postgraduate student at the University of New South Wales, added: 'We encourage you to release apologies to Buddhists and stop manufacturing this item ASAP. Otherwise, Victoria's Secret will be responsible for insulting other religions.' The lingerie-maker's spokeswoman replied to say they had stopped selling the garment and had removed the photograph from the website. Unsatisfied, Mr Mg wrote again, this time copying the email to Today, to insist on a public apology. Finally a statement was issued by Victoria's Secret and Limited Brands, which owns Victoria's Secret and a number of other fashionable retail chains such as The Limited and Bath & Body Works, offering their sincere apologies and saying they regretted any offence they might have caused. The statement added that there was 'absolutely no intention of showing any disrespect to Lord Buddha or Buddhism.'"