![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “The Indian authorities should have been enforcing the protection of the Sentinelese and their island for the safety of both the tribe and outsiders,” it said. Survival International, based in London, said that the “tragedy” of the American’s death “should never have been allowed to happen.” Indian authorities make periodic checks on the tribe from boats anchored at a safe distance from shore. The island was hit by the devastating 2004 tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean but not much is known about the impact it had on the reclusive inhabitants.Īfter the tsunami one member of the tribe was photographed attempting to fire an arrow at an Indian Coast Guard helicopter. The Sentinelese hunt and gather in the forest, and fish in the coastal waters. In 2006, two Indian fishermen who moored their boat to sleep were killed when the vessel broke loose and drifted onto North Sentinel, according to Survival International, a group protecting tribal people’s rights. Tourists have previously bribed local officials in a bid to spend time with them.īut the Sentinelese still shun all contact with the outside world and have a record of hostility to anyone who tries to get close. The Andamans are also home to the 400-strong Jarawa tribe who activists say are threatened by contact from outsiders. Media reports also said the fishermen told a preacher in the main town of the Andamans, Port Blair, about the incident and the preacher contacted Chau’s family in the United States.Ī spokesperson for the US consulate in the southern Indian city of Chennai told AFP only that they were aware of “reports concerning a US citizen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.” North Sentinel is part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “He was on a misplaced adventure in (a) prohibited area to meet uncontacted persons,” Dependra Pathak told the website. Some Indian media suggested that Chau was a missionary seeking to convert the islanders to Christianity but a local policeman told the News Minute website this was inaccurate. They took him some of the way and he paddled the rest in a canoe. To protect their way of life, foreigners and Indians are banned from going within three miles (five kilometers).Ĭhau had offered local fishermen money to take him to the island, the source said. North Sentinel is home to the Sentinelese people, believed to number only around 150. “They were scared and fled but returned next morning to find his body on the seashore.” The fishermen saw the tribals tying a rope around his neck and dragging his body,” the source said. “He was attacked by arrows but he continued walking. John Allen Chau, 27, was hit by a hail of arrows as he set foot on North Sentinel Island, part of the Indian Andaman Islands, last Saturday, official sources told AFP. PORT BLAIR, India: Members of one of the world’s last tribes untouched by modern civilization have killed an American who ventured illegally onto their remote island, Indian police said Wednesday. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |