# Humanities & Anthropology > Philosophy >  What's your conclusion about John Allen Chau?

## halfalp

Hello,

I dont want this thread to become a witch hunting over the interested, but. What is your conclusion over John Allen Chau?

If you are unfamiliar with the topic, John Allen Chau was an American citizen dead in 2018 trying to convert some Andamanese Islander tribe to Christianity. The Andamanese are one of the few Uncontacted Tribes of the World. Indians laws interdict without special autorizations to go trying to approach those people. His encounter with the named tribes happened a few times in a spare time watched closely by the Indians fishers that he payed to go bring him there, until he died in an unresolved way. The body was noticed in the coast by those Fishers but India authorities could not recover the body and United States refused to invastigated further on the case, probably thinking that he deserved it after outpassing so much restricitons. I personally think that we should not annoy those people, or even try to contact with them because they probably have a good mindset over what foreigners people would want from them. This is actually a very serious topic that could concern people from the Andamanese Islands but also Papua-New Guinea or Amazonia. Approaching those people could bring some deceases that they have not immunity for and kill the entire population in only few centuries. Is religion a pretext to go visit those people without autorizations?

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## markod

It's an interesting case where the universalism of certain politically-inclined types clearly crumbles. To draw a comparison, I'm pretty sure most people would be aghast at the idea of an ethno-purist, isolationist Switzerland.

Part of the reason might be our romantic view of primitive tribes. For example, while I intuitively feel that their culture should be preserved, I've read enough material about primitive tribes to realize that the Sentinelese probably have some questionable practices.

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## halfalp

> It's an interesting case where the universalism of certain politically-inclined types clearly crumbles. *To draw a comparison, I'm pretty sure most people would be aghast at the idea of an ethno-purist, isolationist Switzerland*.
> 
> Part of the reason might be our romantic view of primitive tribes. For example, while I intuitively feel that their culture should be preserved, I've read enough material about primitive tribes to realize that the Sentinelese probably have some questionable practices.


I'm not sure to get the point, it's pretty much as the Black Ships of Americans who forced Japanese to open to them. What is that idea of providential people coming civilized other people for the sake of whatever they want. People gonna Murder other people for ever, and we actually in a near future gonna experienced a new human purge launched by some elite. I always like the fact that some people claim to other the opening of their culture, but they cannot handle a single Punch. When i see the people seated to the American Senate or Bruxelles, i'm laughing.

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## markod

> I'm not sure to get the point, it's pretty much as the Black Ships of Americans who forced Japanese to open to them. What is that idea of providential people coming civilized other people for the sake of whatever they want. People gonna Murder other people for ever, and we actually in a near future gonna experienced a new human purge launched by some elite. I always like the fact that some people claim to other the opening of their culture, but they cannot handle a single Punch. When i see the people seated to the American Senate or Bruxelles, i'm laughing.


Yeah, but people seem to decide purely on instinct whether a people have the right to remain isolated. The Andamanese aren't a separate species, they're remnants of a South Asian Mesolithic population.

I don't have any strong opinion on the Sentinelese myself though - I find the response more interesting. Left-leaning types and nationalists seem to be in agreement here.

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## halfalp

> Yeah, but people seem to decide purely on instinct whether a people have the right to remain isolated. The Andamanese aren't a separate species, they're remnants of a South Asian Mesolithic population.
> 
> I don't have any strong opinion on the Sentinelese myself though - I find the response more interesting. Left-leaning types and nationalists seem to be in agreement here.


I didn't even know that socialists and nationalists had the right to have a word on the question, like they represent something in particular for most humans, wich is not the case. And i dont think it's about different species or race, but about what individual or group of people want. India doesn't seem interested to touch those people, i'm not sure why we should even ask ourself about them. They are in their own world, a world that even a civilized human can be in, laughing, crying and killing in the same situation. They also seem to be free minded, meaning, some people probably laughed at JAC, then others wanted to kill him. But the guy who killed him, probably nobody would questioned this act, why would they? Actually, culture or moral a part, i'm pretty sure that civilized them, would start their extinction. Then who would be blamed for? Civilization itself? There is exemple of modern states ( ain't gonna stated the obvious ) who would prefer to die instead of surrending to a foreigner ingerence, why would those tribes surrender?

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## markod

> I didn't even know that socialists and nationalists had the right to have a word on the question, like they represent something in particular for most humans, wich is not the case. And i dont think it's about different species or race, but about what individual or group of people want. India doesn't seem interested to touch those people, i'm not sure why we should even ask ourself about them. They are in their own world, a world that even a civilized human can be in, laughing, crying and killing in the same situation. They also seem to be free minded, meaning, some people probably laughed at JAC, then others wanted to kill him. But the guy who killed him, probably nobody would questioned this act, why would they? Actually, culture or moral a part, i'm pretty sure that civilized them, would start their extinction. Then who would be blamed for? Civilization itself? There is exemple of modern states ( ain't gonna stated the obvious ) who would prefer to die instead of surrending to a foreigner ingerence, why would those tribes surrender?


Disagree, it is about race. Instate laws in Belarus that aim to preserve the indigenous culture, ban miscegenation and such. The international response would be different.

Come to think of bio-ethics, the Sentinelese must suffer horribly effects of inbreeding due to their extremely low population size. Artificially preserving remote island populations really is unnatural if you think about it. Humans aren't a species of small, confined territories.

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## Twilight

John Allan Chau has made no headway when it comes to converting the Sentinelese. All John Allan Chau did was committing suicide; not only we dont understand the language, we dont understand their customs. How can you convert a societys religion if you havent learned their language or customs? :/

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## halfalp

I think it's the point of " having Faith in God ; Allah will supporte you ". It's an idea that makes some people believe they can outpassed their competences, knowledges, power... with the help of a powerful being in the name of the Good. Such behavior have killed many groups and many individuals over the years.

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## Carlos

I had been seeing references to this isolated tribe in the media a few years ago. The media news habits search for news that interests us, excite us or impress us e.t.c. In the buffalo they show us from a giant pizza, a white shark after a surfer or this isolated and cannibal tribe. And after a few years of putting the news the hare jumped. There is always a daring and it happened for his own misfortune. Whenever he saw the news, he insisted on commenting that they should stop issuing it. Finally I think the media could exterminate this tribe if they continue to advertise it. Daring there are going to skip the laws of India, if more deaths occur India would be forced to intervene and begin contact with the natives that would eventually lead to his disappearance as we know it today. I think that the publicity that the media are doing is responsible for the deaths of the unscrupulous adventurers and it would be the disappearance of the tribe.


A media eager for news would not care because then the news would be like India has killed a wild tribe. It is diabolical.

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