1975 Dutch train hostage crisis
Encyclopedia
On December 2, 1975, seven South Moluccan
terrorists seized a train with about 50 passengers on board in open countryside near the village of Wijster
, halfway between Hoogeveen
and Beilen in the northern part of the Netherlands
. The hijacking lasted for 12 days and three hostages were killed.
The attackers came from a village (Bovensmilde
) where a few years later a primary school was seized. The attackers hid their weapons disguised as presents for the Sinterklaas
holiday on December 5.
At the same time, seven other South-Moluccans took hostage of the Indonesian Consulate in Amsterdam.
. The traindriver, Hans Braam, was immediately murdered. When on the third day the Dutch government had not given the hijackers what they wanted, 22 year old national serviceman Leo Bulter was executed and both bodies were thrown out of the train on the rails. That night 14 hostages managed to escape from the train.
The next day young economist Bert Bierling was brought to the doors and shot dead in full view of the police and the military as well as the press. The dead bodies thrown from the train were only allowed to be taken away a couple of days later.
On 14 December the hijackers surrendered. Among reasons for surrender were reports about retaliations on the Moluccan islands and the sub-zero temperatures in and around the train.
In 2008 a Dutch-language television film was made about this hostage crisis.
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
terrorists seized a train with about 50 passengers on board in open countryside near the village of Wijster
Wijster
Wijster is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, and lies about 11 km north of Hoogeveen.In 2001, the town of Wijster had 462 inhabitants...
, halfway between Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
and Beilen in the northern part of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The hijacking lasted for 12 days and three hostages were killed.
The attackers came from a village (Bovensmilde
Bovensmilde
Bovensmilde is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, and lies about 6 km southwest of Assen.In 2001, the town of Bovensmilde had 2,873 inhabitants...
) where a few years later a primary school was seized. The attackers hid their weapons disguised as presents for the Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
holiday on December 5.
At the same time, seven other South-Moluccans took hostage of the Indonesian Consulate in Amsterdam.
Context
The South-Moluccans came to the Netherlands for a temporary stay, promised by the Dutch government that they would get their own independent state, Republik Maluku Selatan (RMS). For about 25 years they lived in temporary camps, often in poor conditions. After these years the younger generation felt betrayed by the Dutch government for not giving them their independent state and they started radical actions to draw attention to their case.Developments
Around 7:10 AM the emergency cord was pulled on the local train Groningen-ZwolleZwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
. The traindriver, Hans Braam, was immediately murdered. When on the third day the Dutch government had not given the hijackers what they wanted, 22 year old national serviceman Leo Bulter was executed and both bodies were thrown out of the train on the rails. That night 14 hostages managed to escape from the train.
The next day young economist Bert Bierling was brought to the doors and shot dead in full view of the police and the military as well as the press. The dead bodies thrown from the train were only allowed to be taken away a couple of days later.
On 14 December the hijackers surrendered. Among reasons for surrender were reports about retaliations on the Moluccan islands and the sub-zero temperatures in and around the train.
Aftermath
The hijackers were convicted to sentences of 14 years. The most fanatical member of the hijackers, Eli Hahury, could not live with the failure of the hijacking and committed suicide in prison in 1978.In 2008 a Dutch-language television film was made about this hostage crisis.
See also
- Attempt at kidnapping Juliana of the NetherlandsAttempt at kidnapping Juliana of the NetherlandsIn Spring 1975 some Moluccans attempted to kidnap Juliana, queen of the Netherlands.On March 3 that year two South-Moluccan youngsters were stopped by the police and found carrying weapons and ammunition in their car. Their plan was to rent a heavy truck and crash into the gate of the Soestdijk...
- Indonesian consulate hostage 1975
- Train hostage De Punt 19771977 Dutch train hostage crisisOn May 23, 1977 a train hijacking took place close to Drentsche Aa river bridge at de Punt on the provincial border between Groningen and Drenthe, northeastern Netherlands. Nine armed Moluccans pulled the emergency brake around 9 AM and took about 50 people as hostages...
- School hostage in Bovensmilde 1977
- Province Hall hostage Assen 1978
- Bijzondere Bijstands EenheidBijzondere Bijstands EenheidThe Unit Interventie Mariniers , formerly known as the Bijzondere Bijstands Eenheid , is an elite Dutch special forces unit, which is specially trained for intervention missions...
- List of hostage crises