The Ma’u Henua community of Easter Island filed a complaint and presented it in person to Chilean authorities.
Easter Island is a remote volcanic island in Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean that is a territory of Chile.
It is best known for its 887 head statues of deified ancestors created by the early Rapa Nui people.
Locals were outraged when two tourists from the mainland violated rules and intentionally climbed on several statues.
The community chief made a formal complaint against the tourists for damage caused to a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In one holiday snap, a young woman is seen posing on top of a moai head giving it a kiss, and in another she is sitting on top of a pukao (ancient hat) giving the peace sign.
The tourist proudly uploaded the images to social media, however she did not expect to receive a local backlash.
According to Ma’u Henua archaeologist Rafael Rapu, responsible for managing the sacred site, the areas where the tourists climbed up have suffered “irreparable damage” as a result of their photo opportunity.
The local expert called their actions “irresponsible and disrespectful” and said that they caused a large crack to appear in the volcanic stone of one statue.
“The moai are sacred for our people and we are tired of the lack of respect that visitors show to the site where our ancestors rest.
“This must be stopped and the only way is through judicial channels.”
The moai statues were been carved between 1250 and 1500 AD.