Culture and the Arts, said the Philippine government would not interfere in the controversy about the film and would leave the decision to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board's rating. Eventually, MTRCB decided to give The Da Vinci Code an R-18 rating (restricted to those 18 years of age and above) despite PAAP's opposition to showing it. Samoa The film was banned outright in the Independent State of Samoa after church leaders watching a pre-release showing filed a complaint with film censors. Solomon Islands The prime minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, said he would seek to have the film banned in his country, as it might threaten the Solomons' predominantly Christian faith. "We profess Christian religion in the country, and that film that depicts some thoughts about this person called Jesus Christ that Christians adore as not only as a good man, but was himself God, and such a film basically undermines the very roots of Christianity in Solomon Islands." Sri Lanka Sri Lanka also banned the film from being released. It was banned by presidential order of Mahinda Rajapakse after the Catholic Bishops Conference made an appeal through an epistle. Thailand Christian groups in this mostly Buddhist country protested against the film and called for it to be banned. On May 16, 2006, the Thai Censorship Committee issued a ruling that the film could be shown, but that the last 10 minutes would be cut. Also, some Thai subtitles were to be edited to change their meaning and passages from the Bible would also be quoted at the beginning and end of the film. However, on the following day, Sony Pictures appealed against the ruling, saying it would pull the film if the decision to cut it was not reversed. The censorship panel then voted 6–5 that the film could be shown uncut, but that a disclaimer would precede and follow the film, saying it was a work of fiction. Protests and other reactions There were protesters at several film theaters across the United States on the opening weekend protesting about the themes of the film, citing it as blasphemy and claiming that it shamed both the Catholic Church and Jesus Christ himself. More than 200 protesters also turned out in Athens, Greece, to protest against the film's release shortly before opening day. In Manila, the film was banned from all theaters by the local MTRCB