New Jarawa videos show 'cop', military men
Two new videos have surfaced that offer fresh proof of official involvement in the "human safaris" featuring the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands.
Two new videos have surfaced that offer fresh proof of official involvement in the "human safaris" featuring the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands.
A three-minute-19-second cellphone clip, obtained by British paper The Observer, shows half-naked girls dancing for a man who appears to be an Indian police officer. A second clip shows men in military uniform milling around the girls.
A video of Jarawa women being ordered to dance for tourists in return for food came to light last month, causing outrage the world over.
Police in the Andamans have repeatedly denied accepting bribes to allow tourists to meet and film the protected tribe in its jungle reserve - both illegal acts. But the new videos raise fresh questions.
"Dance," says an off-camera voice in the longer clip, which initially focuses on a girl's breasts.
Then the man says: "Move back a little, a little more."
The girls - all wearing red string skirts and jewellery - do as they are told.
"Do it," the voice tells them, and they start to dance again.
Halfway through, the camera pans briefly to show an officer sitting by the road side, watching.
The second clip shows Jarawa being filmed with military personnel.
The camera points first at a bare-breasted girl and a male voice, off camera, says, "Isko to de (at least give me that)".
The girl runs to protect her basket. The clip ends with a male voice saying, "chal chal (get lost)".
Neither video is date-stamped, but the longer one is understood to have surfaced two months ago in the capital, Port Blair.
The Indian government ordered a crackdown after the first video. The island police failed to respond to the new allegations, claiming they were unable to view the evidence because of problems with their internet connection.