American Is Killed by Bow and Arrow on Remote Indian Island
NEW DELHI — John Allen Chau had to know that what he was about to do was extremely dangerous.
Mr. Chau, thought to be in his 20s, was floating in a kayak off a remote island in the Andaman Sea. He was about to set foot on one of the most sealed-off parts of India, an island inhabited by a small, highly enigmatic tribe whose members have killed outsiders for simply stepping on their shore.
Fishermen warned him not to go. Few outsiders had ever been there. And Indian government regulations clearly prohibited any interaction with people on the island, called North Sentinel.
But Mr. Chau pushed ahead in his kayak, which he had packed with a Bible. After that, it is a bit of a mystery what happened.
But the police say one thing is clear: Mr. Chau did not survive.
On Wednesday, the Indian authorities said that Mr. Chau had been shot with bows and arrows by tribesmen when he got on shore and that his body was still on the island. Fishermen who helped take Mr. Chau to North Sentinel told the police that they had seen tribesmen dragging his body on the beach.
It was a “misplaced adventure,’’ said Dependra Pathak, the police chief in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “He certainly knew it was off limits.’’
Mr. Pathak said Mr. Chau, believed to be 26 or 27 and from Washington State, may have been trying to convert the islanders to Christianity. Right before he left in his kayak, Mr. Chau gave the fishermen a long note. In it, police officials said, he had written that Jesus had bestowed him with the strength to go to the most forbidden places on Earth.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/american-is-killed-by-bow-and-arrow-on-remote-indian-island/ar-BBPWQJR?li=BBnb7Kz
The people on this island are believed to be descended from the first people out of Africa. They're not very friendly to strangers plus it's likely they don't have a resistance to modern diseases.
It's a shame Mr. Chau is dead but he should have known better.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Please hear me out. I won't attack you I promise. There are strict laws there against visiting this island and for good reason. The natives don't want outsiders there and their wishes should've been respected. They have the right to defend themselves against what they see as invaders. This was a preventable and needless death. If the reports I read are true they did fire warning shots first giving him an opportunity to escape. For whatever reason he chose to ignore that warning and pressed on. He paid the price for it.
Nevertheless I do feel bad for what happened to him and take no joy in his death. My condolences to his friends and family. I was surprised to see all the snark and grave dancing that's dominating this topic. It's a little disappointing to see this on a liberal discussion board. I might get flamed for saying that but, oh well. 
LOL None.
