(TibetanReview.net, Jun05’26) – The Tibet group in the Latvian Parliament, the Saeima, has on Jun 3 held a conference on Tibet with Richard Gere, Hollywood star and Chair of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), Washington, being the keynote speaker. The Conference was hosted by Latvian MP Juris Viļums, Chair of the Group for the Support of Tibet, bringing together politicians, civil society representatives, and the international Tibet movement in a show of Baltic solidarity, said the International Campaign for Tibet Europe Jun 3.
The conference was held as parliamentarians from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania were set to release a joint statement on the situation in Tibet in the coming days.
In his speech, Gere has called on the European democracies to act decisively for the rights of Tibetans, emphasizing the parallels between the historical experiences of the Baltic peoples and the ongoing struggle of the Tibetan people for cultural survival and self-determination.
The conference has also heard video messages from Mr Jan Paternotte, Member of Dutch Parliament, and Mr Dainus Zalimas, Member of the European Parliament, encouraging the representatives present to actively promote in their national parliaments a demand for the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Tibet.
The appointment of such a representative was among requests put forward in a Tibet-related motion adopted by the Dutch parliament in Apr 2025, and would allow a coordinated European approach to Tibet.
Mr. Michael Brand, Member of the German Parliament, has also expressed support for “initiatives that call out and stand up against that racist Chinese regime as a global threat to stability, peace, and human rights.”
The conference discussed China’s Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, adopted by its parliament on Mar 12, 2026, which is to come into force on Jul 1. Participants have described the law as a serious turning point that codifies the forced assimilation of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongols and Hong Kongers, violates China’s own constitution, as well as international human rights law.
Earlier, on Apr 30, 20026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution, condemning the law.