MACEDONIA: ACTOR RICHARD GERE TOURS REFUGEE CAMPS

(28 Apr 1999) English/Nat American actor Richard Gere has arrived in Macedonia to tour refugee camps and see conditions there first hand. Gere, an active human rights campaigner, spoke with a number of Kosovar refugees at the Brazda refugee camp and signed autographs. Through an interpreter he told them he was very happy to see them and that the world was thinking of them. The American actor, known for his support of Tibet's struggle against China, plans to spend three days in Macedonia. He will talk with relief officials and visit some of the sites holding the more than 135-thousand refugees who fled from Kosovo into Macedonia over the last month. Gere says he supports many humanitarian causes and is in Macedonia trying to find out what's happening for himself. He made a brief stop Brazda, Macedonia's largest refugee camp, about ten kilometres (six miles) from Skopje. The actor chatted with a refugee named Skender, who received an autograph and the job of Gere's unofficial interpreter for the visit. Gere asked him about the major problems facing those in the camp. SOUNDBITE: (English) Refugee: "We had enough food until NATO members were here...er..NATO soldiers were here." Gere: "You can say that, say whatever you want." Refugee: "No, no they didn't take the food, but after they come, the food was less and less and less, and today we got only bread and some kind of something I don't know what was it, and before we had enough." SUPERCAPTION : Refugee "Skender" and actor Richard Gere Gere was warmly welcomed at the camp and, despite the serious tone of his visit here, there was no escaping his sex-symbol image. Dozens of young girls gathered to ogle the movie star, whose films include "American Gigolo", "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Pretty Woman". He seemed to show a genuine interest in anyone wanting some of his time. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...