Page Two ,THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, June 1, 1977 PageTwoTHEMICIGANDAIY WdnedayJun 1,197 Moluccans request mediator ASSEN, The Netherlands (,F) A HIGHLY placed govern- --South Moluccan terrorists ment source cautioned against holding at least 55 hostages on too much optimism over the a hijacked train for the past gunmen's call for mediators, nine days asked for outside me- calling it "a small change." diators yesterday, a request But it appears to open the way that some here saw as a first for genuine negotiations, which step toward possible resolution government officials said had of the long standoff. not been possible previously. Prime Minister Joop den Uyl After the terrorists made the met through the afternoon with request, members of a group key ministers in the Dutch calling itself the "Free Moluc- capital of The Hague to con- can Youth" read an open letter sider the request. to the government at a news SALE DOWN JACKETS, VESTS. PILLOWS & COMFORTERS At Rockbottom Prices Ripstop Jackets $3'4.95 f Ripstop Vests $19.95 SAVINGS on many more styles 213 5. MAIN ST. 665-3888 Open 10 ti 5:30 ur. conference in this northern Dutch city. "We know our boys. This could end in violence," the let- ter said. "BUT IF the government ac- cepts this as a political prob- lem, then negotiations can start immediately to free the hostages." Seven to ten terrorists, mem- bers of the South Moluccan im- migrant community in the Netherlands, were holding the hostages on the commandeered passenger train on a rail line eight miles from here. Another group of four gun- men was holding four teachers in an elementary school in the village of Bovensmilde, just south of Assen. SOUTH MOLUCCAN media- tors were instrumental in end- ing a similar twin seige in De- cember 1975, when South Mo- luccan militants seized a train and the Indian consulate in Amsterdam to demand Dutch help in winning independence ~ONIGHT~ PITCHEROF MIXED DR INks from Indonesia for their island homeland. The South Molucca islands and the rest of Indonesia were once the Dutch East Indies col- ony. The Dutch have said they have no control over their for- mer colonies. The terrorists in the current action had threatened to kill hostages if an attempt was made at mediation. Until now, most contacts have been made by government psychiatrists acting for the authorities. THE GUNMEN at the school, who last Thursday and Friday freed 105 children and one teacher, did not say anything Tuesday about mediators, of- ficials said. A telephone line linking the train and school has been cut, and it was believed that the t leaders of the twin terrorists strike were among the train hijackers. Noes Solisa, a Moluccan with purported links to militants, said the gunmen may ask to be flown to Libya, Yemen or Vietnam. He said South Moluc- can militants have gotten "sympathy" from the Pales- tine Liberation Organization and similar movements but de- nied this included arms and money. At the outset of the long dual sieges, the gunmen had de- manded release of 21 country- men jailed for earlier terror- ism in Holland and a jumbo jet flight out of the country to an undisclosed destination. Toos Faber, a spokeswoman for the Justice Ministry, said yesterday that these demands "are no longer being discussed by anyone," but she refused to say whether they had been dropped outright. She did say the gunmen had abandoned any hope of taking hostages with them. Police posted guards yester- day at a railway switching yard 2.5 miles from the stalled train where an armored train capa- ble of assault troops stood by. Dutch officials said contingen- cy plans called for storming the hijacked train if any host- ages were harmed. Carter hopes to restore diplomatic ties with Cuba j , ..9";xe. ice"' ,f."°"rf+ r PLAINS, Ga. (AP) - Presi- dent Carter said yesterday that he sent a personal message to Cuban President Fidel Castro expressing best wishes for suc- cessful negotiations to restore diplomatic relations and Castro responded in kind. "I think we moved some first, faltering steps," Carter told re- porters before setting out on a sentimental stroll through his home town. "But it eventually depends on them. We'll move as fast as they will." "I SENT HIM best wishes for a successful conclusion of our negotiations and he responded accordingly." The State Department has con- firmed that the United States has proposed a limited exchange of diplomats with Cuba. UNDER THE proposal, U.S. diplomats would work out of the Swiss Embassy in Havana, while Cuba would post diplo- mats at the Czechoslovakian Embassy in Washington. It would be a step short of exchanging ambassadors an'd resuming full diplomatic rela- tions, which were ruptured in early 1961. THE MICHIGAN DAILY Volume LXXXVII, No. 20-5 wednesday, June 1, 1977 is edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan. News phone 764-0562. Second class postage paid at Ann Arbor. Michigan 48109. Published daily Tuesday through Sunday morning during the.Univer- sity year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor. Michigan 48109. Subscription rates: $12 Sept. thru Aprii (2 semes- ters); $13 by mail outside Ann Arbor. Summer session published Tues- day through Saturday morning. 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