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Of Tamils and Tigers Part 1:1988-1994 : a journey through Sri Lanka's war years :the diaries of Ben Bavinck / by Ben Bavinck ; edited by Maithreyi Rajeshkumar, 2011, Colombo, Vijitha Yapa Publications"Of Tamils and Tigers is a historical record of our times. Told with self-effacing humour and compassion and from the perspective of one with a unique and particular insight into the unfolding events in Sri Lanka, Ben Bavinck's diaries record the defiance and spirit in many of the ordinary people who stood up to the Tigers and the State. This book is rich with insight into the abilities of the Sri Lankan people to navigate the political vicissitudes of war and social upheaval. It is not the power of politicians or of armed leaders on which the diaries lay emphasis, but the difference made by ordinary people. ...." Ben Bavinck was born in Indonesia in 1924 to Dutch missionary parents. As a young man, Bavinck lived through the Nazi occupation of Holland, an experience which left a profound impression on him. In 1954, he moved to Jaffna, Sri Lanka to work as a missionary-teacher, where he spent the next seventeen years. During this time he became fluent in Tamil and intimately familiar with the Tamil community. In 1972, he and his family returned to the Netherlands. After retirement in 1988, he returned to Sri Lanka as a humanitarian relief worker on behalf of the National Christian Council, spending the next six years traversing the country providing relief to those communities most affected by the war. In 1994, he moved to Jaffna where he spent the following decade. Throughout these years, Bavinck kept a diary, diligently recording his observations, experiences and conversations. These diaries are a valuable historical record of Sri Lanka's war years.&#160;For more information please read the review of the book published in transcurrents by Shanie:http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/1647&#160;