THE HAGUE, 19/09/00 - Although always dominated by cheerfulness, there are some fears that this year's Princes Day might not be completely peaceful. The Defence Ministry, Royal Military Police, the Government Information Service, and several other services have taken extra safety precautions.

The unusual security measures follow recent threats by Moluccan youths, demanding the Dutch government to intervene in the violence in the Moluccas. The possibility of further protests against high fuel prices is also not excluded. The Hague police spokesman R. Kouwenhoven yesterday confirmed the safety precautions, but declined to comment on their nature.

Sources within the Home Affairs Ministry have reported that the possibility of disorder by Moluccans is reckoned with, nobody wanted to go into details. Earlier, spokesman L. Reawaruw of the Moluccan group People Against Genocide hinted that he expected actions to take place in The Hague today.