Disney
Mulan, Disney’s latest live-action remake of a beloved ’90s cartoon classic, has divided critics. Some laud its spectacle and thematic resonance, while others criticized its middling characters and storyline. But it’s also dividing social media, with many calling for you to boycott the new flick, which is available on Disney Plus for $30.
The boycott circles around two Chinese issues: The treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region — where some of the film was shot — and China’s crackdown of human freedoms in Hong Kong.
As noted by novelist Jeanette Ng in a Monday tweet, the credits in Mulan show a “Special Thanks” to the “Publicity Department of CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee.” That’s the propaganda wing of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s Xianjang government, where it’s been estimated that over a million Uyghur Muslims have been forced into re-education camps.
Claiming to be battling religious fundamentalism and separatism, the Chinese Communist Party has ordered Uyghur Muslims into these camps, which are reported to involve cheap labor under the guise of re-education and the forced learning of Mandarin, for offences including praying or growing a beard.
The credits also thank the Bureau of Public Security in Turpan, a municipality within Xinjiang, which last October was sanctioned by the US government under its Entities List for human rights violations. Some have tweeted — to thousands of retweets — that supporting Mulan is tantamount to being complicit in these human rights violations.
The other cause for concern are comments made by Mulan’s leading actress, Yifei Liu, last August. “I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong,” she posted on Weibo.
Sparked two months earlier by an extradition bill that would give mainland China’s courts power over sensitive Hong Kong legal cases, the protests in Hong Kong were hitting a new peak when Liu made the statement on Weibo. Those who opposed the movement often did so not by outright supporting China, but by aligning with the police force’s calls for violent protests to stop.
“It’s obviously a very complicated situation and I’m not an expert. I hope this all gets resolved soon,” she said in a followup interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Hong Kong activist and politician Joshua Wong brought up Liu’s comments on Friday, when the movie launched on Disney Plus, encouraging “everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan.” The tweet has over 27,000 retweets.
Disney was reached for comment but did not immediately respond.