Tension relaxed in Amsterdam

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34031, 20 December 1975, Page 15

Tension relaxed in Amsterdam

(Sew Zealand Press Association —Copyright) AMSTERDAM, December 19. While Dutch marines armed with carbines surrounded the besieged Indonesian consulate in Amsterdam, the South Moluccan gunmen inside are sleeping off the birthday party they threw last night for one of their 25 hostages.

i The tension of the 16-day i siege relaxed suddenly late yesterday, after the terrorists had spoken to two mediators from their community who had earlier conferred' with Dutch Government and police leaders. In the hours that followed, the terrorists asked for supplies of food from one of Amsterdam’s best Chinese restaurants, and clean underclothes for all.

“During regular contacts with the gunmen, we were told that someone in the building was having a birthday,” a police spokesman said, “so we added a special

! dessert to their food as a i gesture of good will, and | that little extra was received i with singing.” The mediators who spoke to the gunmen were the Rev. Semeul Metiary, himself a South Moluccan, who has had regular talks with them, and Mr Johan Alvares Manusama, president of the; self-proclaimed Moluccan! Republic. Official Dutch sources' have refused to comment on; when they think the siege; may end, some sources have; hinted broadly that it will! not go into the week-end.