Junus Ririmasse died on September 9 last year after an illness. Dozens of people formed a guard of honor with flags during the funeral. Ririmasse was a valued member of the Moluccan community in Bovensmilde.
Ririmasse became known for his role in the train hijacking in De Punt in 1977. He and eight other hijackers held dozens of passengers captive for nineteen days. The group fought for an independent South Moluccan Republic and wanted the Dutch government to commit to it, as promised. Dutch marines eventually put an end to that hijacking. Six hijackers and two hostages were killed. Ririmasse was injured.
He was sentenced to ten years in prison and served eight years. In his later life, Ririmasse fought for justice, because he believes the Dutch state is responsible for the deaths of the fellow hijackers. In 2013 he published a book about the case together with Jan Beckers. They concluded that the hijackers were deliberately shot by the Marines. In June last year, the Court of Appeal ruled that the State is not responsible.