INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image:Who are the SentineleseIndian officials have "put on hold" efforts to retrieve the body of an American missionary reportedly killed by
an endangered tribe in the Andaman and Nicobar islands last week.A senior official told the TheIndianSubcontinent it was done so as not to
disturb the protected Sentinelese tribespeople.John Allen Chau is said to have been killed with arrows when he landed on North Sentinel
island on 17 November.He was trying to convert the tribespeople to Christianity.His body is still on the island and attempts so far to
retrieve it have been unsuccessful.On Monday, top government official Chetan Sanghi called a meeting of senior officials from the police,
tribal welfare, forest and anthropological departments where it was decided to put the search for the body on hold, an official who attended
the meeting told the TheIndianSubcontinent
The official, who did not want to be named, said a boat was sent to the area on Tuesday morning, but it was "only to check the
situation"."In the initial days several attempts were made to find the body after the tribesmen were seen dragging it
We know the general direction of where it was taken, but we still don't know where exactly it is," he said
The decision to halt the search was taken because the exercise "is too risky" and also after "objections" were raised by various groups, he
added.Earlier on Monday, rights group Survival International said the search should be called off as it was "incredibly dangerous" for both
the Sentinelese and officials."Such efforts in similar cases in the past have ended with the Sentinelese attempting to defend their island
by force," said Survival director Stephen Corry.Indian anthropologists and researchers also expressed concern that search teams going to the
island may escalate tensions.In the past few days, police are reported to have used a ship and a helicopter to get close to the island
because a murder case has been registered which has to be investigated.But considering that the tribespeople are protected, the authorities
are in a quandary about how to proceed further.In 2006, the Sentinelese killed two Indian fishermen who had tried to sneak on to the island
Officials were unable to retrieve the bodies
What have authorities done so farThe most recent attempt to retrieve Chau's body was at the weekend, when a police boat faced off with
Sentinelese tribesmen but withdrew to avoid confrontation.On Saturday, police stationed their boat about 400m (437 yards) offshore and,
using binoculars, saw tribesmen on the beach armed with bows and arrows."They stared at us and we were looking at them," regional police
chief Dependra Pathak told reporters
The boat then withdrew.Image copyrightSurvival International Image caption
Few images of the endangered tribe exist
Image copyrightChristian Caron - Creative Commons A-NC-SAImage caption
The Sentinelese stand guard on an
island beach in 2005
Six fishermen who ferried Chau, 27, to North Sentinel island have been arrested over the incident, with
one other person also held.Outsiders are banned from even approaching the island so as to protect the people who live there, and their way
of life.The complete isolation of the Sentinelese people means contact with the outside world could put them at risk, as they are likely to
have no immunity to even common illnesses such as flu and measles.The tribesmen have also treated outsiders with hostility for years
Chau's family have said they forgive those who killed him.Read more on uncontacted tribes:
