Swiss troops to bear arms abroad

The government wants its soldiers to be armed abroad

Electors in Switzerland have voted narrowly in favour of allowing the country's soldiers to carry weapons when on peacekeeping missions abroad.

They also decided that the army could co-operate in Nato-led military training operations.

A vote on Switzerland joining the UN is due next year

But people were deeply divided, with big cantons like Geneva rejecting the proposals while smaller ones like Lucerne narrowly said "yes".

Both proposals had the support of the Swiss government, but they aroused bitter controversy among voters - many of whom believed Switzerland's traditional neutrality would be compromised if the proposals were approved.

Traditionalists say the idea of any Swiss soldier serving, let alone dying, outside his country is regarded by many Swiss as unthinkable.

I think if they go in dangerous areas, they should have weapons to defend themselves

Swiss voter

But with the end of the Cold War and the growth of regional conflicts, some Swiss soldiers, like Lieutenant Martin Studer, expressed support for taking part in international peacekeeping missions.

"If you want to help in the sense of peacekeeping, I think it is a good thing and lots of people would like to do that. But it is also quite dangerous, so if I would like to go abroad in an area where you have military actions, I would like to carry around a gun for self-defence."

Equal footing

A handful of Swiss troops are serving in Kosovo, but since they cannot carry weapons, they have to be protected by the Austrian forces.

It is not the job of the Swiss army to help in other countries

Thomas Fuchs,
"No" campaigner

The Swiss Government wants its army to serve on an equal footing.

Christian Katrina, chief policy adviser at the defence department, says the proposal to arm the troops is simply common sense.

"We are somewhat surprised that this causes so much controversy. We want our soldiers to be able to defend themselves and to be able to fully fulfil their mandate," he says.

Opposition

But the campaign against the proposal has been bitter.

The right wing accused the government of betraying Swiss neutrality.

Posters appeared across the country, showing military cemeteries and Swiss flags.

The Swiss are divided on the issue

"Send our boys to die in foreign countries?," they asked. "Absolutely not!"

Thomas Fuchs, a leading member of the "No" campaign argued that Swiss soldiers had nothing to do abroad.

"To send armed troops to other countries, different countries, that is a step in the wrong direction. It is not the job of the Swiss army to help in other countries and it is not even a problem of armed or not armed. I think Swiss soldiers have to be in Switzerland."

Left-wing groups who want the army abolished altogether were also against the proposal.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Berne says the debate has reflected Switzerland's confusion over its post Cold War role.

The government wants closer international co-operation and is pushing for Switzerland to join the United Nations. A vote on that is due next year.