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Prosecuting tribesmen on North Sentinel Island?

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That island is not the US. If 'their' 'officials' want it investigated, there's nothing stopping those islanders from doing so.

Otherwise no one else has jurisdiction.

If an illegal Bulgarian broke into your house and you killed him...would you allow the Bulgarian govt to investigate? What if Bulgarian laws are different than ours? Then what? And if it was determined legal here and the Bulgarians didnt like it...then what? Then nothing, it's legal here.

What's the point? If there was no wrong-doing...and according to those island residents there wasnt...why should their lives be subjected to interference and even exposure to disease?

Ok I will concede, but there is still the point that the body of the killed is still on the island. Shouldn't it be recovered?
 
I kind of feel like they have made their feelings known on this matter

Nothing says "leave us alone" quite like a few arrows in the body.
 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/...-india-s-north-sentinel-island-police-n938826

I am a slightly confused. So these people are no touch for yet they can kill "outsiders" and hang their bodies like scarecrows?

Even if we pretend that it makes sence to apply our own legal principles to this situation, I think they have a strong defence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine

And bear in mind that they were literally defending their lives given that even a mild flu virus could kill them, not to mention that the last time foreigners spent any time on the island it didn´t end well for them https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sentinel_Island#British_visits
 
Does that somehow make it OK to say he deserved to die? Think not.

I didnt write he 'deserved' it.

IMO any person can do away with their own life.
 
I'm more along the lines of "he was an idiot". You have to be a special kind of moron to think that you can just waltz onto an isolated island inhabited by primitive people who have been repeatedly hostile to outsiders, and think you can 'convert' them to Christianity. And not only that, doing it multiple times.

You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. :shrug:

I wrote here or another thread on this that IMO, it was hubris.

There is one population left on Earth that has not had God's Word delivered unto them...and he made it his mission (over a period of years of study) to do so. It was the only one left and he wanted that distinction of reaching them...all in "God's Name."

(I dont know if it is the ONLY group left but if not, it's close)
 
Ok I will concede, but there is still the point that the body of the killed is still on the island. Shouldn't it be recovered?

That is your personal belief.

If you break the law, sometimes you forfeit your rights and preferences...or those of your kin.

What do you care about the body?
 
Of necessity I will address this as a Christian, since that is what I am.

I have been aware of the Sentinelese for some years and read about them with interest. The ban on contact seemed prudent, imo, both for their own possible vulnerability to disease and protection of outsiders.

When I read about this young man's death, I was more than a little conflicted.

On the one hand, as a believer myself, I had to respect his conviction. He apparently was firmly convinced that he had a calling from God to bring the Word to these people, even knowing it could easily cost him his life, and was willing to take that risk. That is a level of faith I respect.

On the other hand, his actions were, from the viewpoint of prudence, reckless in the extreme. He knew their usual reaction to outsiders. He had to know he would probably be killed.

I haven't yet seen any indication that he was aware of the viral contamination risk, the possibility that he could be carrying microbes that they had no immunity against; that his visit, if successful, might wipe out the people he hoped to enlighten. If he was unaware, that is a terrible ignorance that a little study could have cured, and no excuse for it. If he was aware of this and went ahead anyway, I am staggered by the hubris, overconfidence or lack of prudence involved. I'd really like to know what his thinking was on this matter, as it is extremely important (or should be) for anyone with benevolent intentions regarding contact.

He doesn't seem to have done his homework. A few people have had non-hostile limited contact with the Sentinelese by staying in the surf and offering gifts, while wearing no or minimal clothing. The Sentinelese seem to react badly to uniforms or full clothing, possibly because of how different it makes people look from them, or perhaps oral tradition from previous contact with soldiers. This has been noted in some of the literature available about them. *I* have read of this, from way back here in the USA with no intentions of going anywhere near the Sentinelese... why didn't he know this??

Many unanswered questions that do not reflect well on his level of preparation and planning. How did he intend to get past the language barrier? No one even knows the lingo, or whether it is related to any other known languages. Was he a linguist? Not that I have heard.

From what I have read, his first encounter did not go well. A boy of perhaps 10 shot an arrow at him, which did not injure him but did pierce his Bible. He survived only by fleeing back to the boat.

Personally, I would have taken this as a sign, and not an encouraging one.

He persisted and got killed on his second attempt at contact.

Secular reason says this was a predictable and probable outcome, resulting from ignorance, poor preparation, or just plain recklessness.

From a Biblical perspective: While martyrdom is honorable, I see no scriptural compulsion to seek it out in this manner. The Apostles were told, when they came to a city that would not receive them or their message, to depart and "shake the dust of the city from their sandals". This and other scripture suggest to me that trying to impose the Gospel on those who vehemently want no part of it is literally fruitless and not recommended.

He believed he had a calling from God to do this. It is not my place to question another person's conviction in such a manner... but in retrospect, I'm afraid I have to question it. I don't think God throws away His good servants in this manner, where it will do no good. One can think one has a certain calling, and be mistaken.

I think God gave us brains and the capacity to reason for a purpose, and that we are to use them. I think this young man went to his death because he did not.

That is merely my opinion. I have heard other fellow believers say that we don't know if his death may serve other important purposes, as a witness and so forth. Perhaps they are correct; personally I see little benefit given that the common reaction in the secular world is that he was stupid and asked for it.


Personally, I admire the courage of his convictions and believe he meant well, but am appalled at his lack of prudence and apparent failure to study the situation adequately before making his attempt.

I wouldn't go within 200 yards of the island without a much better plan for how to make peaceful contact and develop meaningful communications... and preferably some sort of official authorization.


Edit: oh, and as for prosecuting a native for his murder, that is nonsense for obvious reasons.
 
I'm more along the lines of "he was an idiot". You have to be a special kind of moron to think that you can just waltz onto an isolated island inhabited by primitive people who have been repeatedly hostile to outsiders, and think you can 'convert' them to Christianity. And not only that, doing it multiple times.

You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. :shrug:

Can't argue with that.
 
I didnt write he 'deserved' it.

IMO any person can do away with their own life.

At least a couple of posters here did.

I'm not saying what he did wasn't suicidal.
 
I heard today that his parents believe he
is still alive and want someone to retrieve him.
 
The way I see this.
They are not guilty of any crime, but is untenable to allow them to just kill people who intrude upon their land.
So something must be done.
 
I heard today that his parents believe he
is still alive and want someone to retrieve him.

Like their son, his parents believe a lot of stupid ****.
 
UPwBWDEs


The victim was identified as John Allen Chau and he was encouraged to visit the Andaman Islands by two American missionaries. As his name suggests he's Chinese or Korean, he may have been mistaken as an Indian rather than an American by local tribes. Visitng the North Sentinel Island is prohibited in India and Indian police arrested local fishermen who helped Chau organise the trip. It's Chau and two American missionaries who broke the Indian law.

NEW DELHI (AP) — An American adventurer who kayaked to a remote Indian island populated by a tribe known for shooting at outsiders with bows and arrows has been killed, police said today.

Dependera Pathak, director-general of police on India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said seven fishermen have been arrested for helping the American reach North Sentinel Island. The Sentinelese people are resistant to outsiders and often attack anyone who comes near, and visits to the island are heavily restricted by the government.

Pathak identified the American as John Allen Chau and said he told a hotel he was 26 years old. Chau was apparently shot and killed by arrows, but the cause of death can't be confirmed until his body is recovered, Pathak told The Associated Press.

"It was a case of misdirected adventure," Pathak said.

"We are investigating the role of at least two Americans, a man and a woman, who met with the man who went to the island," Pathak said.

"These other two, who have since left the country, were reportedly into evangelical activities and encouraged him to visit the island."

The police chief did not name the couple nor give details of the organisation they belonged to.

Pathak said investigators had traced the two Americans through calls made to Chau's telephone phone. The Americans had "local mobile numbers", he added.
 
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The land is theirs after all.. The American was dumb enough to go there, and not listening to the very big warnings about not going there..

Feel the same about this?

On 17 December 2018, the bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, a 24-year-old Danish woman, and Maren Ueland, a 28-year-old Norwegian woman, were found decapitated in the foothills of Mount Toubkal near to the village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Louisa_Vesterager_Jespersen_and_Maren_Ueland
 
Feel the same about this?

On 17 December 2018, the bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, a 24-year-old Danish woman, and Maren Ueland, a 28-year-old Norwegian woman, were found decapitated in the foothills of Mount Toubkal near to the village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Louisa_Vesterager_Jespersen_and_Maren_Ueland

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