Gere in plea to China over human rights

Richard Gere today called for China to address its human rights record ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Hollywood actor called for a “declaration of truth” about the country’s oppression of the Tibetan people and followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Gere is a long-standing supporter of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.

Speaking at the Venice Film Festival today, he said of the Beijing Games: “I’m not really calling for a boycott – what I do call for is a declaration of the truth.

“If China wants to be a host of the Olympics they also have to be open enough to discuss what’s going on there – the destruction of Tibetan culture, abuse of minorities including the Tibetans and Falun Gong. China has a horrendous human rights situation and it has to be talked about.

“I don’t believe in isolating everyone, that’s counter-productive and foolish. The fact that the media and the international community is coming to Beijing is important for the evolution of China.

“But you can’t participate in the Olympics and not talk about what’s going on negatively in China.”

The 'Pretty Woman' and 'American Gigolo' star is in Venice to promote new film 'The Hunting Party'.

He plays a TV news reporter who sets out to track down Bosnia’s most wanted war criminal.

It is based on a magazine article by US journalist Scott Anderson, a blackly comic tale about his attempts to find Radovan Karadzic.

Deposed Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic remain in hiding and are at the top of the international war crimes tribunal’s most wanted list.

Gere said of his research for the film: “I was mostly curious about seeing the look in people’s eyes when I asked them if it was possible for me to meet Karadzic and Mladic. A very interesting thing goes on behind the eyes – eight times out of 10 I could see the answer was, ’yes, it’s possible, but I probably would have my children killed’. So the answer came back ’no’.

“It tells you how deeply afraid people are. And what’s interesting to me is how do the bad people amongst us end up our leaders?

“Even in my own country – how did we elect Bush twice? How is this possible?”

The film’s writer-director, Richard Shephard, said the international community should do more to track down Karadzic and hold him accountable for his crimes.

“We should all be ashamed of ourselves that he continues to roam free in this small country. He writes poetry, he eats in restaurants we ate in. And they say they are hunting this man... I believe good people want him caught, but I don’t believe there’s the will to have it done,” Shephard said.