Govt May Reimpose RAP Permit for Andaman Island After Chau’s Death

The govt has found that there were 44 incidents of violations other than RAP by foreigners in the Andaman islands.

John Chau, the American national who had visited the Andaman islands, was reportedly killed by Sentinelese tribe.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

The Restricted Area Permit (RAP), which forbids people from visiting prohibited locations without permission, may be reimposed in the North Sentinel island where an American was reportedly killed by members of a highly protected and reclusive tribe, officials said on Wednesday, 28 November.

The central government has also found that 44 incidents of violation of rules and regulations, other than RAP, by foreigners have taken place in the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the recent past. A delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) will visit the Union Territory on 4 December to assess the situation arising after the killing of American tourist John Allen Chau by the Sentinelese tribe earlier this month.

The Home Ministry has received a report of the Andaman and Niocobar islands administration on the incident, a Home Ministry official said.

A worst-case scenario would be the re-imposition of the RAP in the North Sentinel island along with a few other islets, the official said.

The North Sentinel island is one of 29 islands in the Andamans where, till June, foreigners had to take special permission – the RAP – before being allowed to travel there.

Even though RAP was withdrawn, any tourist is required to take permission from the forest department and the administration of the Andamans as it is protected under two other acts – protection of aboriginal people and forest acts.

44 Incidents of ‘Other’ Violations

The Home Ministry has also found that as many as 44 incidents of violation of rules and regulations by foreign tourists have taken place in the Andamans in the recent past.

However, none of these incidents are related to the RAP, another official said.

Meanwhile, the NCST delegation, headed by its chairman Nand Kumar Sai, will visit the Andamans on 4 December to take stock of the situation there.

The Home Ministry has also submitted a report to the NCST on the incident, the official said.

John Allen Chau’s Death

The police said the American had enlisted the help of a local electronics engineer and water sports service provider, and hired five fishermen to evade the patrolling teams of the police, Coast Guard and Navy to approach the island.

For this, the local fishermen were paid around Rs 25,000 by Chau.

Chau and the team had started on 14 November around 8 pm for the North Sentinel Island and reached there by midnight.

The next day, he moved to shore using his kayak, which he towed with the fishing boat. After dropping him, the fishermen fixed their timings and a place to meet each other between the shoreline and their high sea fishing area.

In the morning of 17 November, they saw a body being buried at the shore, which from the silhouette, clothing and circumstances appeared to be Chau, the police said.

The fishermen and others who had assisted Chau were later arrested by the police.