Disney is facing a new round of controversy, including calls for a boycott, after it was revealed that the new live-action remake of “Mulan” thanked Chinese government agencies that have been accused of extreme human rights violations in the Xinjiang province.
The company’s remake of “Mulan” launched on its Disney+ streaming service on Friday, where eagle-eyed viewers noticed the film’s credits thanked several Chinese entities, including the Public Security and Tourism bureaus for Turpan and the Xinjiang government’s publicity department. The province is home to detention camps that have held Uighur Muslims, where detainees have allegedly been subjected to terrible human rights violations, such as torture and forced sterilization.
A complaint was recently filed in the International Criminal Court by two organizations of Uighurs accusing the Chinese government of crimes against humanity, torture and genocide, NBC News reported Wednesday.
Last year, the Turpan Public Security bureau was included on a list of 28 Chinese entities the United States alleged engaged in human rights violations and abuses. The U.S. also imposed sanctions and visa restrictions in July in response to the “horrific and systematic abuses in Xinjiang.”
Beijing has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of the Uighur minority and insists its actions in Xinjiang have been taken to combat terrorism.
Twitter users called the inclusion of the government agencies in the “Mulan” credits, placed in the last minute of the film, “disgusting.”
Disney did not respond to multiple requests for comment from NBC News on the calls for boycott.
The “Mulan” film has already been hit with criticism and boycotts over other human rights violations in China. Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand urged moviegoers to boycott the film due its lead actress, Liu Yifei, who shared a post supporting Hong Kong police last year.
When asked by the Hollywood Reporter in February about the backlash, Liu said it was a very sensitive situation.
“I think it’s obviously a very complicated situation and I’m not an expert,” she said. “I just really hope this gets resolved soon.”
Hong Kong has been home to heated anti-government protests since last year, which intensified in June after China unveiled a sweeping national security law for the city. The law limited protests and dramatically reduced the territory’s autonomy, according to pro-democracy activists.
A third-party spokesperson for the “Mulan” film did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from NBC News on Wednesday.
