The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday, 22 November, called John Allen Chau, an American national who was allegedly killed by the Sentinelese tribe in Andaman Islands after he reached the island to convert them to Christianity, more of an “adventure enthusiast” and less of a “preacher”, The Indian Express reported.
The MHA added that in visiting the Sentinels on the highly restricted island, Chau had violated local laws.
According to what officials told IE, Chau, who was on a mission to take Christianity to this indigenous tribe, had not gone the legal route – he had reportedly not informed the police nor sought permission from the Forest Department and the local administration before paying local fishermen money to take him to the North Sentinal island.
The MHA also said that the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) had been withdrawn from 29 islands in June, which included the North Sentinel Island, that required foreigners to take “special permission” to visit them, the report added.
“Even though one filter (RAP) was withdrawn, any foreigner is required to take permission from the Forest Department and the administration since the island is protected under two other acts — protection of aboriginal people and forest acts.”The MHA official told The Indian Express
According to a press release by the Union Territory, instead of going to the police, Chau had approached a local electronics engineer named Alexander and a water sports service provider for help to travel to the island. Following this, he had paid five fishermen about Rs 25,000 to take him to the island and evade police patrol teams, Coast Guard and the Indian Navy, the report said.
The island is restricted because the Sentinalese are an isolated tribe, and are vulnerable to diseases from visitors that they have no immunity to. Numerous tribes have been decimated by contact with outsiders because of their lack of immunity to diseases common in the outside world.
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