Lalit K Jha

Washington, Nov 11 (PTI) An advocacy group, led by eminent Hollywood actor Richard Gere, working for the rights of Tibetans has asked US President Barack Obama to pursue action on Tibet when he meets the Chinese leadership in Beijing next week.

"If by not meeting (in October 2009) with His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) you intended to signal to General Secretary and President Hu Jintao that you expect an equally significant action from the Chinese government, there are a number of specific objectives that should be pursued," Gere said in a letter to Obama on behalf of Board of Directors of the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).

Founded in 1988, ICT is the world's largest Tibet- related private non-profit group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans, ensure their human rights, and protect the Tibetan culture and environment.