USA: Richard Gere testifies in front of Congress on Tibet, calls for pressure to allow the Dalai Lama to visit China and hold peace talks

Talking to the Dalai Lama offers China's best chance for a peaceful solution in Tibet, U.S. lawmakers and activists said on Tuesday (March 13) arguing that Beijing's refusal to meet the exiled leader is hurting China. China has held five rounds of fruitless talks with the envoy of the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against Communist rule in 1959, eight years after the Chinese military marched in to annex Tibet. Beijing has rejected dialogue with the Dalai Lama, asserting that the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner is a separatist despite his official call for greater autonomy within China for his predominantly Buddhist homeland. "Mr. Chairman, the Dalai Lama is willing to visit China," actor and activist Richard Gere said. "I strongly believe such a visit will build confidence and trust between the two parties and would certainly allay Chinese fears concerning the Dalai Lama and what his presence in Tibet would portend. Those of us who know His Holiness could never doubt his sincerity. We must use every opportunity available to us to impress upon President Hu Jintao and other Chinese officials the importance of extending an invitation for this visit." Gere, testifying to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, as chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, said opening the door to the 71-year-old spiritual leader would help Beijing realise its policy goal of a "harmonious society". He also said "there is an extraordinary window of opportunity" to act now before the 2008 Olympics are held in China. "An equitable solution in Tibet is good for Tibet, good for China, good for Asia, good for America, good for the world and an unmistakable demonstration of China's evolution as a responsible nation and people. And quite simply, it's the right thing to do," said Gere, a devout Buddhist. The Dalai Lama will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in October. Gere, who has been barred from visiting China since 1993, also said that waiting until the Dalai Lama's death would be dangerous and short-sighted. "We see these risks manifest in the rest of the world. You have a leader here who is universally revered within the culture who has keep this movement non violent for 50 years. If he (Dalai Lama) were to pass away there are a lot of hot bloods out there who are ready to go the violent route. There is no question about it and none of us want to see that. That will bring destruction on both sides," Gere said. Lantos, a California Democrat, expressed concern over deteriorating human rights in Tibet and made the region the subject of his committee's first hearing on China under the new U.S. Congress. Lantos said he would send a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao urging him to invite the Dalai Lama to visit China before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

ITN Source | March 16, 2007

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