"Under the Shadow of Collective Camps"... Disney's 'Mulan' Controversy, Filmed in Xinjiang, China

Thank You from Turpan Public Security Bureau in Ending Credits
Chinese Government Operates 'Re-education Camps'
Chinese Ethnic Minority Policy Expert: "Turpan Public Security Bureau Responsible for Camp Construction"

The main character of the movie 'Mulan,' Liu Yifei.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Disney's film 'Mulan' is facing criticism after reports emerged that it was filmed in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Uygur Autonomous Region has been accused of human rights abuses against the Uygur ethnic minority in China.

On the 7th (local time), the British BBC reported that the ending credits of Mulan included a message thanking the "Turpan Public Security Bureau of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for their cooperation during filming."

The Uygur Autonomous Region is located in northwest China and is primarily inhabited by the Uygur people. However, the Chinese government has been criticized for operating "re-education camps" in the region, forcibly detaining Uygurs and violating their human rights.

Dr. Adrian Zenz, an expert on China's ethnic minority policies, claimed in an interview with the BBC that the Chinese government has been operating such re-education camps since at least 2013.

Dr. Zenz explained, "(The re-education camps) are places leading China's national propaganda," adding, "The Turpan Public Security Bureau was responsible for constructing the camps and hiring security personnel."

The appreciation message from the Turpan Public Security Bureau in China appeared in the ending credits of the movie 'Mulan'. / Photo by Janet Ng, Twitter capture

In June, he also released a report suggesting that the Chinese government forced Uygur women to undergo sterilization procedures or wear contraceptive devices, indicating human rights abuses.

However, the Chinese government dismissed allegations of human rights abuses against Uygurs as "fake news" and argued that the re-education camps are operated to combat separatist terrorism and extremism.

Amid growing controversy over human rights abuse allegations in the Uygur Autonomous Region, Dr. Zenz pointed out that "Disney is an international corporation that has unfairly profited under the shadow of mass detention camps."

Joshua Wong, a key figure in Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, strongly criticized, saying, "Watching Mulan is tantamount to colluding with the mass detention of Uygur Muslims."

Some netizens have launched a boycott campaign against the film 'Mulan.' They posted tweets with the hashtag '#BoycottMulan' on social networking services (SNS), stating, "A Disney film was shot in a place where the Chinese government implemented cultural erasure policies against ethnic minorities."