The Dance of Jarawas: Will Tourism Endanger the Andaman Aborigines?
A tribal girl gestures at the Andaman Trunk road in Jarawa reserve on India's south Andaman island in this undated handout photo. The Jarawa are one of four ancient "Negroid" tribes barely surviving on the Andamans. Reuters

Close on the heels of revelations that members of a protected sect of tribals inhabiting India's Andaman-Nicobar Islands had been forced to dance half-naked for tourists, two new videos shot on a mobile phone have emerged which suggest the involvement of Indian law enforcing agencies and military officials in 'human safaris' exploiting the protected tribes.

The latest footage released by the Observer, the British newspaper, depicts young, topless Jarawa tribal women singing and dancing before a man dressed as an Indian police officer.

An off-camera voice (apparently the officer himself) gives instructions in Hindi (India's national language). He tells them: Dance karo... (Do it... dance). Then they are being asked to move back a little.., seemingly for a convenient position to photograph them. The episode occurs on the side of a road apparently inside the forest. The officer has a mobile phone in his hand.

Another footage shows a young, half-naked girl and three other children surrounded by men in Indian military uniform. The mobile phone clip initially focuses on the young girl's nudity. The scared girl then picks up a basket and tries to run away along with the other children.

Local police repeatedly denied claims of taking bribes to allow tourists to come into contact with the ancient tribal group and photograph them. However, Indian authorities are yet to respond to the latest evidence.

According to Indian laws, photographing or coming into contact with members of the Jarawa tribe is illegal.

Scroll down to watch the video released by the Observer.

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