Disney faces second wave of boycott calls for 'Mulan' movie

Disney's latest film Mulan has faced a second round of criticism following its launch in movie theatres and on Disney's streaming platform, Disney+. Netizens on Twitter are calling for the public to boycott the movie with the hashtag "#BoycottMulan", claiming that the lead actress Liu Yi Fei supports police brutality in Hong Kong during its protest.

The call to boycott the Mulan film is not new, first igniting in August 2019. Netizens are appealing to the public not to watch the movie, if they support human rights. A few netizens have also criticised Disney for casting the actress and giving in to the demands of China government while creating the film. Separately, another netizen also pointed out that the publicity department of CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was included in the film credits, inferring that the filming took place in Xinjiang, where a "cultural genocide" is happening. The netizen is referring to the situation in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs (Muslim ethnic minority) are detained and allegedly tortured. Marketing has reached out to Disney for a statement. 

Additionally, an edited image of the Mulan poster has been circulating online. The image featured Liu with a communist sign on her forehead. It also showed her social media comment at the side, with a flag of China in the background.

According to multiple media reports, earlier in August last year, Liu said on social media platform Weibo: "I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong." This was during the Hong Kong protests, which has been going on since the start of 2019. Mulan was initially slated to launch in theatres in 27 March, but it was delayed due to the global pandemic. 

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