American Missionary Killed by Indigenous Tribe

[FullOfGravy]

I'm not sure this really needs its own thread, and it follows on from the discussion of the Wesco family:

US missionary who was illegally trying to reach an uncontacted tribe has been killed

Quote

Seven fishermen, who illegally ferried the man to North Sentinel island, home to the isolated Sentinelese tribe, have been arrested, police say.

Access to the island is heavily restricted and contact with the tribes is not allowed.

The Sentinelese, numbering fewer than 50 in all, have always attacked those approaching the islands.

Local media have reported that the US national was a missionary who wanted to meet the tribe to preach Christianity to them. He has been identified as John Allen Chau.

"Police said Chau had previously visited the North Sentinel island about four or five times with the help of local fishermen," senior journalist Subir Bhowmik told BBC Hindi.

"The number of people belonging to the Sentinelese tribe is so low, they don't even understand how to use money. It's in fact illegal to have any sort of contact with them."

So, knowing it's illegal, and knowing the Sentinelese have previously been hostile to outsiders, he went ahead anyway because Jesus.  I guess at least this one didn't drag kids along with him?

On the other hand, the martyr-hungry persecution.org has this to say:

Quote

11/20/2018 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) –International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that an American missionary named John Allen Chau, age 27, was reportedly killed by unidentified individuals from the Sentinelese community on North Sentinel Island, located in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This murder comes at a time when Indian Christians report ever escalating levels of persecution across the country.

Yes, because this isolated and endangered group with a history of fending off outsiders is definitely part of some anti-Christian conspiracy.  Uh-huh.

Wonder if John-boy will get word of this and feel moved to compose more "poetry"?

[faraway]

Just found this, I can't even facepalm enough. Those tribespeople tried to shoot a plane with arrows which checked on them after the tsunami. They live in complete isolation.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/21/asia/andaman-nicobar-us-missionary-killed-intl/index.html

 

New Delhi (CNN)An American Christian missionary is thought to have been killed by tribespeople from one of the world's most isolated communities on a remote island hundreds of miles off the coast of India, according to officials.

The 27-year-old American came to India on a tourist visa but came to the Andaman and Nicobar islands in October with the express purpose of proselytizing, Dependra Pathak, Director General of Police of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, told CNN. 

"We refuse to call him a tourist. Yes, he came on a tourist visa but he came with a specific purpose to preach on a prohibited island," Pathak said.

He did not inform the police of his intentions to travel to the island to attempt to convert its inhabitants. 

The island, North Sentinel Island, is inhabited by the Sentinelese people, who are protected under Indian law. Just more than a dozen people are officially thought to live on the remote island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. 

Pathak said that the American missionary had asked one of his local friends, an electronic engineer, to arrange a boat and find some fishermen who could take him to the island. The contact found a boat and the fishermen, along with a water sports expert, to help with the expedition. 

All seven locals who facilitated the trip have been arrested. 

"According to the fishermen, they used a wooden boat fitted with motors to travel to the island on November 15," Pathak said. 

"The boat stopped 500-700 meters (1,640 - 2,300 ft) away from the island and (the American missionary) used a canoe to reach the shore of the island. He came back later that day with arrow injuries. On the 16th, the (tribespeople) broke his canoe. 

"So he came back to the boat swimming. He did not come back on the 17th; the fishermen later saw the tribespeople dragging his body around." 

The police haven't independently verified if he is indeed dead, but based on what the fishermen have told them believe that he was killed.

"We have a team out in the waters for reconnaissance and to strategize how to recover his body. The team consists of coastal guards, officials from tribal welfare department, forest department officers and police officials."

Remote, largely isolated

The island is a protected area, and it is prohibited to go within five nautical miles of it, after previous incidents of aggressive behavior towards outsiders had been observed. In 2006, two local fishermen were killed by the tribes. 

An official from the US consulate in Chennai confirmed that diplomats are "aware of reports concerning a US citizen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands." 

"When a US citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," the official said.

The island group is about 850 miles (1,370 kilometers) east of the Indian subcontinent. 

There are 572 islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory, only three dozen of which are inhabited. The territory has a population of nearly 380,000, according to India's 2011 census.

The 2011 survey only spotted 15 Sentinelese on their island -- the count was done from a distance due to the danger in approaching the tribe. In the 2001 census, the total population was estimated to be 39.

India has designated five indigenous tribal groups in the territory as "particularly vulnerable" due to the loss of sustaining resources and customs. 

India's Ministry of Tribal Affairs has said that, with regard to Sentinelese tribes, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration "has adopted an 'eyes-on and hands-off' policy to ensure that no poachers enter into the island."

[Lisafer]

Um, holy hell. I'm sorry he's dead, but...just...wow. How unfortunate that his belief system overruled all legal and common-sense considerations.

[Howl]

This reminds me of certain Christians religious fanatics who proselytize, knowing their converts may very well be martyred killed murdered for converting to Christianity.  They consider it better to die the right kind of Christian than live as a.......insert any other faith community here ____________________.  

[Terrie]

Maybe it's crass, but it seems like he committed a very elaborate form of suicide, and while I have some slight sympathy for his family, I have none for him. The ego required to do something like this is massive. This is the sort of person who should be required to carry around apotted plant to help replace the oxygen they're wasting.

[ViolaSebastian]

You know he’s going to be made into some sort of martyr, rather than the ethnocentric criminal he is. 

[Lisafer]

11 minutes ago, Terrie said:

Maybe it's crass, but it seems like he committed a very elaborate form of suicide, and while I have some slight sympathy for his family, I have none for him. The ego required to do something like this is massive. This is the sort of person who should be required to carry around apotted plant to help replace the oxygen they're wasting.

I wonder if perhaps some kind of mental illness played into it? It does sound very suicidal.

[FeministShrew]

I could see John Shrader doing something like that.

Seriously, dude, they shot you with arrows. They destroyed your boat. How many more signs did you need to tell you you weren't welcome? But I guess that was just Satan attacking you to prevent you from sharing "the gospel" and not people telling you to stay the fuck away. They obviously gave him plenty of warnings not to come back.

Edited November 21, 2018 by FeministShrew

[Pianokeeper]

He HAD to know he could wipe them out entirely, single-handedly, by his exposing them to germs they've not encountered in 60,000 years. Nobody makes to the Sentinel Islands without at least superficial research. 

What a wretched, wretched, self-serving excuse for a human being.

[ViolaSebastian]

26 minutes ago, Pianokeeper said:

He HAD to know he could wipe them out entirely, single-handedly, by his exposing them to germs they've not encountered in 60,000 years. Nobody makes to the Sentinel Islands without at least superficial research. 

What a wretched, wretched, self-serving excuse for a human being.

But they’ll die knowing about Jesus! /s

[FullOfGravy]

1 hour ago, Terrie said:

This is the sort of person who should be required to carry around apotted plant to help replace the oxygen they're wasting.

I love this.  And yes, the ego and hubris of knowing that what he was doing was illegal for a very good reason, but believing he was special enough to repeatedly try to break the law and endanger his conversion targets is gross.  You don’t get the glory of dying for your faith if you died doing something stupid, illegal, and harmful to others.

[anjulibai]

Dumbass. 

[DangerNoodle]

2 hours ago, ViolaSebastian said:

You know he’s going to be made into some sort of martyr, rather than the ethnocentric criminal he is. 

IDK. I read hundreds of comments on this story on the Washington Post and Fox New's Facebook page. Didn't see anyone trying to justify it. There were a few troll/sarcastic comments. 

A bunch of Fox News people were like 'nOw ThAt's HOw yoU HaNdLe iMmIgRaTioN ha ha' but not any sincere defenders.

[mango_fandango]

Wow, what an idiot.

[Glasgowghirl]

He chose to ignore warnings about going to the island. As far as the tribes people are concerned they were defending themselves against an Intruder. This man made a stupid and ultimately fatal decision and now his family are left grieving for him. I do have a little sympathy for him but more for his family and friends.

[hoipolloi]

The levels of stupid and arrogance here are stunning. 

 

[fundiefan]

When you are so self righteous that you think spreading your religion is paramount and ignore everything presented to you, you deserve what you get. I have zero sympathy for him. He is with his Jesus now - fitting, since his belief was that others being with his Jesus was the most important thing. He lied to get there by obtaining a tourist visa when he knew damn well he was not there as a tourist. 

I hope his body feeds native wildlife. 

Adding: I just read a piece where he was described as a really good guy. "A lovely character"; "warm and engaging".

The same piece says he went to work in New Orleans after Katrina with FEMA. Which, I think is untrue, because he was 27 years old. He was 14 when Katrina struck. 

Edited November 21, 2018 by fundiefan

[hoipolloi]

4 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

He is with his Jesus now - fitting, since his belief was that others being with his Jesus was the most important thing.

Yep -- totally fitting.

Could it be that this really is the Lord at work, getting rid of such an arrogant & obnoxious god-botherer in this way?  

[ViolaSebastian]

Sounds like he got to the island and wrote some journal entries and a letter to his parents there. He references “the veil” which leads me to posit that he’s perhaps LDS. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6415649/Christian-missionarys-letter-family-killed.html

[Terrie]

International Christian Concern, which likes to run around trumpeting about how persecuted Christians are, is trying tospin this as how India is hostile to Chrisitans. The island is actually closer to the SE Asian penninsula that includes Thailand and Burma. But why bother with the truth when you can whine about how you're not allowed to do whatever the hell you want?

https://www.persecution.org/2018/11/20/american-missionary-reportedly-murdered-hostile-tribe-india/

[ViolaSebastian]

Just now, Terrie said:

International Christian Concern, which likes to run around trumpeting about how persecuted Christians are, is trying tospin this as how India is hostile to Chrisitans. The island is actually closer to the SE Asian penninsula that includes Thailand and Burma. But why bother with the truth when you can whine about how you're not allowed to do whatever the hell you want?

https://www.persecution.org/2018/11/20/american-missionary-reportedly-murdered-hostile-tribe-india/

They likely didn’t even know he was Christian, just that he was an invader, which he was. He was warned, he lied to obtain his visa, and he got exactly what everyone said he would. To try to pin this on this India, after they gave this upstart multiple warnings, is repulsive. I have zero sympathy. 

[luv2laugh]

It’s not about being a Christian. That island has a notorious history of killing anyone who attempts to show up.  He had to have been on a suicide mission.

Edited November 21, 2018 by luv2laugh

[ViolaSebastian]

I just really hope that no one gets hurt or dies trying to obtain his body. 

[Terrie]

1 minute ago, ViolaSebastian said:

I just really hope that no one gets hurt or dies trying to obtain his body. 

I hope the Sentinalese people don't get any diseases from him. 

[Gobsmacked]

2 minutes ago, Terrie said:

I hope the Sentinalese people don't get any diseases from him. 

That's the real worry here. He is/was an egotistical waste of space. 

He wrote the letters on the fishing boat, the evening before his second fatal return to the island. 

Serves him right. He is totally undeserving of any sympathy. They warned him, but no he just had to try again. Good Riddance.