Ben Bavinck, a Dutchman born in Indonesia, lived in Jaffna from 1954 until 1972, as a missionary and a staff member of Jaffna College. In 1988, two years before fighting resumed between the LTTE and government forced, he returned to Sri Lanka at the behest of the National Christian Council (NCC) of Sri Lanka, for which he oversaw relief and rehabilitation. Six years later, in 1994, he again returned to Jaffna, then under the control of the LTTE; he stayed, in several capacities, until September 2004. The following are slightly edited excerpts from the diary, translated from the original Dutch, that Bavinck kept during this latter period, being published here for the first time.
Writer's introduction: The Tamil Tigers started the war again on 11 June 1990, by attacking police stations in the Eastern Province. The Sri Lankan Army recaptured the districts of Batticaloa and Amparai, and drove the Tigers back behind the lagoon, which runs parallel to the east coast. While doing so, the army indulged in many atrocities against Tamil civilians. On 3 August, the Tamil Tigers attacked two mosques in Kattankudi, a largely Muslim town, killing 120 worshippers. After this, Kattankudi remained disturbed for a long time.
6 September 1990, Kalmunai, Eastern Province. On this day, I left for Kalmunai in a van carrying solely Muslim passengers – there was not a single Tamil. Tamils are not safe in either the Sinhalese or the Muslim areas of the Eastern Province. We started out at 6 in the evening. When we reached Mahiyangana at 2 am, we slept on the street in front of some shop. At 6 the following morning, we started off again and finally reached Kalmunai at 11:30 in the morning. It was quiet in the town. Some more shops had opened but there were hardly any Tamil people on the streets. Tamils can hardly leave their homes at all.
But the Muslims too feel completely insecure in the Tamil areas that are not under army occupation. The conductor of Muslim-filled van was particularly interested to know how I was able to travel freely in those areas. Apparently, he saw me as some kind of bleached Tamil, because I spoke the language – an impression that others had had, as well. Yet despite the fact that the Muslims are being persecuted by the Tigers – and it is certainly true that they are likewise living in fear – their plight generally remains less pitiful than that of the Tamils, who are being threatened both by the army, by the Muslims, and also have become victims of the irresponsible provocations of their own 'liberation movement'. Journeys to the east always make me very depressed, due to the fate of the Tamil community there – one that seems to be completely defeated.