Disney’s ‘Mulan’ under fire again as British MPs condemn China for Xinjiang abuses

蘋果日報 2020/09/10 21:33


Disney’s live-action film “Mulan” drew a fresh wave of criticism in the U.K. as more than one hundred British members of parliament penned a joint letter condemning China for human rights abuses against Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
The letter was addressed to China’s ambassador to the U.K. Liu Xiaoming, who has defended the Chinese Communist Party and repeatedly countered reports of human rights abuses in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang. The petition, co-signed by 135 MPs, was also fueled by existing anger towards China’s attempt to suppress ethnic minorities in the country. More than one million Uighurs are believed to be detained in mass detention camps in Xinjiang.
The MPs were alerted by a video aired on BBC that discussed the remake of the 1998 animated movie released on Disney+ last week, in particular about the treatment of the Uighurs in China.
“The similarities between this video and historical footage of Nazi concentration camps are truly chilling,” they said in the letter.
“Your interview followed further shocking accusations that the Chinese Government is actively pursuing a policy to reduce the Uighur population with Uighur women facing forced sterilization, forced abortion and the forced removal of their wombs,” the letter added.
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong also posted a letter on Twitter to press Bob Chapek, Disney’s chief executive, to reveal the details of its agreement with the Xinjiang government, including the subsidies, funding and instructions the US-based multinational entertainment conglomerate has received from mainland authorities.
“Mulan” was hit by widespread backlash after Disney openly thanked the Chinese Communist Party Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee and the Bureau of Public Security in Turpan, a city in Xinjiang, for assisting in the production of the movie. Both have been accused of grave human rights violations in the region.
Wong criticized Disney for being silent on the issue. “Its cooperation with the officials responsible for brutal crackdowns on the Uighur Muslim minority really sends an alarming signal to the world - what kind of values Disney advocates for,” he said.
“Mulan” actress Liu Yifei was criticized by many Hong Kong pro-democracy figures after reposting a picture on China’s Twitter-like Weibo supporting the Hong Kong police, who have been accused of brutally cracking down on anti-government protesters last year. It also quickly led to calls to boycott the movie among Hong Kong demonstrators.
“I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong,” the image shared by the Chinese-American actress read.
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