Seven Moluccan youngsters took hostage of all occupants in the slow train Groningen- Zwolle, armed with weapons wrapped in St Nicholas gift paper. At the same time, the Indonesian consulate in Amsterdam was occupied. The Moluccans' demand was: recognition of their independent Republic Maluka Selatan (RMS) in the Indonesian archipelago.
The RMS was proclaimed in 1950 during the aftermath of the colonial war between the Netherlands and Indonesia, where the Moluccans had fought on the Dutch side. For security reasons the Moluccan soldiers and their families were taken to the Netherlands and accommodated in residential quarters. They were never to return. The RMS was never recognized, nor by Indonesia nor by the Netherlands.
During the hostage the train conductor and two passengers were killed and in Amsterdam a policeman was killed.
In 1977 there was another train hijack.