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Personalitynationalism without question.in 1973. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II two yearsChaplin's political views might seem tame by modernlater.standards, but in the 1940s his views were seen by many He was buried in Corsier-Sur-Vevey cemetery, but inas communist.March 1978 his corpse was stolen by a Polish-Bulgariangang in an attempt to extort money from his family. TheDuring the McCarthyism witch hunts of the 1950s,plot failed, the robbers were captured, and the corpseChaplin was accused of "un-American activities" as awas recovered 11 weeks later near Lake Geneva.suspected communist sympathizer. Head of the FBI J.Chaplin's body was reburied under two metres ofEdgar Hoover instructed the FBI to keep extensive files onconcrete to prevent further theft attempts.him and tried to end his US residency (Chaplin had alwaysretained his British nationality).The Manoir de Ban is now destined to become the"Charlie Chaplin Heritage Site". A museum devoted to theIn 1952 Chaplin visited Britain for a film premiere, butfilm pioneer and the early days of Hollywood, the site willhad his re-entry permit revoked by Hoover. As a result,also include a film theatre, outdoor stage, film school andChaplin chose to live in exile in Switzerland with his family,restaurant.moving to the Manoir de Ban in Corsier-sur-Vevey,overlooking Lake Geneva.The project had been on ice for over a year owing to legalHeritage sitewrangles, but in December it was announced thatinvestors had agreed in principle to buy the Manoir deAfter his last film, A Countess from Hong Kong, in 1966 Ban and that building could be finished by summerand he returned to Hollywood to receive a special Oscar 2009. EU expands border-free zone,Swiss to join laterBorder controls from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic havebeen lifted recently in Europe's passport-free travel zone.Switzerland is due to join the Schengen Area inNovember 2008, but the move is likely to be delayed asratification of the treaty with several European Unionmember nations is still pending.The entry of nine former mostly Eastern European statesis seen by many as a final lifting of the old Iron Curtaindivide between the former Soviet bloc and the West. Butthe lifting of border checks has triggered fears of a rise incrime and a flood of illegal immigrants.inject new life into border-region economies and put anend to the hassle of delays at most European borders.DelaysInitially the lifting of internal controls involves just landand sea borders, but that will be extended to airports atthe end of March 2008. Switzerland, which is not amember of the EU, was initially scheduled to join theSchengen zone this year. But delays in the parliamentaryratification process in three EU countries have made itunlikely that the area will be extended to Switzerlandbefore 2009.From one minute past midnight the Schengen Area wasSwiss voters approved the Schengen treaty in aextended to cover Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the CzechRepublic, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Malta.nationwide vote two years ago. Switzerland will have toimplement technical and legal changes and airportWith its current 24 members it creates an area one-third infrastructure the only remaining border post to nonthesize of the United States affecting 400 million people Schengen countries will have to be adapted. Theand allowing passport-free travel over 4,000 kilometres. cantonal authorities in charge of security at airports -"Together we have overcome border controls as manmadeobstacles to peace, freedom and unity inalso have to train up their police units.Europe,"said European Commission President José ManuelBarroso at a ceremony in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.He said the expansion would boost trade and tourism,Switzerland will have to pay into a special Schengen fundset up by Brussels. In 2006 the government estimatedthe Swiss contribution at about SFr13 million ($11.3million).21INDO-SWISS BUSINESS + JAN-FEB 2008