Diaz apologises for bag faux-pas

Cameron Diaz has issued an apology after 'insulting' locals on a visit to Peru by carrying a bag emblazoned with a communist slogan.

The Shrek actress was visiting the Inca city of Machu Picchu on Friday using an olive green bag with a red star and the words "Serve the People" written in Chinese.

The message was seen by many as a reference to Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong. Zedong's Maoist Shining Path insurgency fought the Peruvian government in the 1980s and early 1990s, killing almost 70,000 people.

Human rights activists described the actress' bag as "inappropriate", however Diaz has now apologised for her ignorance.

She says: "I sincerely apologise to anyone I may have inadvertently offended. The bag was a purchase I made as a tourist in China and I did not realise the potentially hurtful nature of the slogan printed on it.

"I'm sorry for any people's pain and suffering and it was certainly never my intention to reopen what I now know is a painful wound in this country's history."