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Hollywood star Richard Gere received a standing ovation from Canadian politicians during a planned appearance in the House of Commons on Monday.
The outspoken actor arrived in Ottawa for a parliamentary hearing where MPs made an official statement on the human rights situation in Tibet.
“Mr. Speaker, this year we are celebrating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” Liberal MP James Maloney said during question time on Monday. “The first two Tibetan refugees arrived in Canada 55 years ago, on 15 October 1970, following a request by His Holiness then Prime Minister Lester Pearson.”
“Since then, Tibetan Canadians have been contributing to the Canadian economy, community and the social fabric of our country,” he said. “The influence of his holiness is far-reaching and his message of peace, non-violence and harmony and happiness is making the world a better place.”
In 1959, the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans were exiled and forced to flee their homes after the Chinese Communist Party took over the region, which advocates say worsened human rights conditions.
Maloney welcomed visitors to Parliament Hill who had come to celebrate Canada Tibet Lobby Day, an annual event that advocates for the rights and freedoms of Tibetans. He also led MPs in a standing ovation for Gere, whom he called a “true champion for Tibet”.
Gere was sitting in the House public gallery at the time of the statement and had previously collaborated with Maloney on efforts to support China’s autonomous region.
He gave quick remarks to reporters about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to revive Canada’s strained relationship with China amid trade tensions with the United States.
Gere explained, “There’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t talk.” “If you look at what has happened with the systems China has put in place around the world, they have not been good for anyone.”
“So, I think we can be very, very skeptical of those arrangements,” he said. “I’m more concerned about US-Canadian relations […] It’s a little stressful right now, but I think we can remember that this administration won’t be around forever.
Gere suggested Canada is working to improve its relations with trading partners around the world, including China, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on key sectors that drive the Canadian economy.
Gere described the move as “problematic” and encouraged politicians to “take a deep breath” and “look at things realistically”.
Gere famously received 20 year ban from Oscar After going off script to speak out against China’s occupation of Tibet at a 1993 awards show. However, the Academy refuses to impose a formal sanction. He returned to the ceremony in 2013 to present the awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.
Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Ducep also stood up during question period to thank Gere for his presence and to reaffirm the Bloc’s support for the self-determination of the Tibetan people.