Madam Speaker, today we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising. Fifty years ago, 300,000 Tibetans surrounded the Dalai Lama's palace to protect their young leader from the Chinese military. That dedication to the Dalai Lama is today reflected not only here in Canada but worldwide.
The NDP reaffirms its commitment to supporting human rights in China, including the collective self-determination rights of the people of Tibet. The government of China must respect freedom of religion, speech and assembly for Tibetans. I would remind the House that on February 15, 2007, the House of Commons gave unanimous consent to a motion by NDP MP Peggy Nash. It said:
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should urge the government of the People's Republic of China and representatives of Tibet's government in exile, notwithstanding their differences on Tibet's historical relationship with China, to continue their dialogue in a forward looking manner that will lead to pragmatic solutions that respect the Chinese constitutional framework, the territorial integrity of China and fulfill the aspirations of the Tibetan people for a unified and--