In Japan, for example, the proverb is seen as a Golden Rule. "Not to be snoopy, nosy or gossipy." Other early representations that link to Buddhist teaching claim "if we do not hear, see or talk evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil." This may even be compared to the English saying "Speak of the Devil - and the Devil appears." A further depiction says that a person who does not experience evil through sight and sound, will not do any evil.
Nowadays, especially in the Western world, the words "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" describe a person ignoring bad things happening around him. This representation, in particular, has been used by artists dealing with topics as oppressive as AIDS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys#Meaning_of_the_proverb
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