Tribal rights organization urges against recovering American Christian missionary's body from remote Andaman island
Survival International, a tribal rights organization, is urging officials not to attempt to recover the body of John Allen Chau, who was reportedly killed on a remote island by an isolated tribe, saying it would be "incredibly dangerous" to both authorities as well as the Sentinelese people.
Chau was an American Christian missionary allegedly killed by the Sentinelese tribe of Andaman Islands in India earlier this month, People reports.
Issuing a precautionary statement on Monday, Stephen Corry, Survival International's Director, wrote: “We urge the Indian authorities to abandon efforts to recover John Allen Chau’s body. Any such attempt is incredibly dangerous, both for the Indian officials, but also for the Sentinelese, who face being wiped out if any outside diseases are introduced. The risk of a deadly epidemic of flu, measles or other outside disease is very real and increases with every such contact. Such efforts in similar cases in the past have ended with the Sentinelese attempting to defend their island by force. Mr. Chau’s body should be left alone, as should the Sentinelese. The weakening of the restrictions on visiting the islands must be revoked, and the exclusion zone around the island properly enforced.”