Richard Gere testifying in Congress

“How did they |monks in Tibet | know the new President would be meeting with their revered spiritual leader? By listening to the Voice of America.”

Speaking in June at the hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Campaign for Tibet, called for saving Voice of America broadcasts.

The Committee can also ensure that Tibet programs are properly funded. I know that budgets are tight, but U.S. government Tibet programs are as small as they are effective. For example, because of congressional initiative, the Tibetan language services of Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America broadcast information every day into Tibet. This is almost the only source of independent news available on the Tibetan plateau, and it works. When the Dalai Lama met President Obama in the White House in February 2010, monks in Amdo lit off fireworks to celebrate that the world’s greatest democracy still cared for the plight of Tibet. How did they know the new President would be meeting with their revered spiritual leader? By listening to the Voice of America.

The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs is chaired by U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who in her opening statement at the June 02 hearing was critical of the Obama Administration’s approach to the issue of human rights in China.