Mr. Speaker, today we are commemorating the 51st anniversary of the national uprising in Tibet, when Tibetans opposed the presence of Chinese communists on their territory.
The failure of this uprising led to the repression of the Tibetan people and ultimately to the exile of the Dalai Lama, who is still exiled to this day.
I want to highlight this sad event to remind Canadians that we must defend our cultural diversity and tolerance of differences.
It goes without saying that I support the people of Tibet who are working to achieve freedom, because unfortunately they continue to live in fear and are unable to freely practice their religion.
To our friends in Tibet, I want them to know that Canadians are standing by their side in the hopes that real progress will be made soon.