Mako Kulju, 26, was arrested in late March accused of chipping off an ear lobe from a four-meter high Moai figure. A local woman identified him from the tattoos on his body, saying that she saw him running away with the piece in his hand.
Kulju was also ordered to publicly apologize for the offense and he was banned from visiting the island for three years. In his interview with the La Tercera newspaper the Finn admitted, that damaging the statue was the "worst mistake" of his life. He explained that the statue made such an impression on him, that he decided to take a piece of it home.
The Chilean Office for the Protection of National Monuments claims the punishment was not severe enough, even though the fine set a record for such an offense.
"The Finnish tourist should have been given a prison sentence. It would have been a warning to other travelers," the office's chief, Oscar Acuna, said.
The Easter Island is world famous for its volcanic rock statues erected by Polynesian peoples, some as old as 1,000 years and up to 20 meters in height. In 1995 the statues were included in the UNESCO world heritage list.
