Tens of thousands of people are calling on the Oscars Committee to reverse an invitation to Donnie Yen to present an Oscar over his support for China's communist regime.
Chinese actor and martial artist Yen was named as one of the celebrities who'll appear at this year's Oscars to present an Academy Award. However his participation has angered many who've signed a petition making it clear why they believe he shouldn't take part in the event.
Yen is a huge star in his native China and may be familiar to Western audiences for his roles in recent movies like Rogue One and Mulan and for his upcoming role in John Wick: Chapter 4.
The 59-year-old actor is due to present an award at the Academy Awards on Sunday March 12 as it stands. The decision has infuriated more than 30,000 people who have signed a petition posted to Change.org.
"We, a group of people from Hong Kong, are writing to express our concern about your decision to invite an actor who supports the Chinese Communist Party's violation of human rights, Donnie Yen, as a presenter for the Oscars," the open letter begins, addressing the Oscars Committee directly.
"Donnie Yen is a supporter of the Chinese Communist regime and has made several remarks in support of the Chinese government's policies, including supporting the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and accusing Hong Kong protesters of being rioters," the letter reads. "These remarks not only violate the spirit of freedom of speech but also deny the rights of the people of Hong Kong to fight for their freedom and democracy."
Hong Kong has seen huge protests over Beijing's policies in the Chinese region. It is believed by many that the Chinese government is attempting to slowly reintegrate Hong Kong back into mainland China's rule and roll back the territory's jurisdictional independence despite promises made when it was transferred to China on 1 July 1997, after 156 years of British rule.
Commenting on the Academy's decision to include Yen in this year's Oscars show, the petition statement said: "We strongly condemn this decision, which not only shows contempt for the people of Hong Kong but also provokes the global public."
The statement continued, "We demand that the Oscars Committee reconsider this decision and cancel the invitation of Donnie Yen as a presenter for the Oscars. Let us work together to uphold human rights and moral values, and make the Oscars a truly respectful award."
While Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the main event this year, Yen is one of 16 celebrities invited to host awards. Some of the others are British actors Riz Ahmed and Emily Blunt, Indian actress Deepika Padukone, and the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Ariana DeBose, Jonathan Majors, Questlove and Dwayne Johnson.
Yen has previously angered some with his comments about the 2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, which he doubled down on during an interview with GQ Magazine in February 2023.
"It wasn't a protest, OK, it was a riot," Yen said. "I have many friends who were there. I don't want to get political. A lot of people might not be happy for what I'm saying, but I'm speaking from my own experience."
Yen has previously spoken openly about wanting the representation of his country in Western media to be positive.
"I'd always ask the producer whether the role I'm supposed to take and the content of the film as a whole is respectful of Chinese people and Chinese culture," Yen told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2021 interview, suggesting he wants to avoid Chinese stereotypes.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
