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Milk Tea Alliance
The "Milk Tea Alliance" flag created by netizens. The colours represent (from left) Thai milk tea, Hong Kong milk tea and Taiwanese milk tea.
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	奶茶聯盟
Simplified Chinese	奶茶联盟
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin nǎichá liánméng Bopomofo ㄋㄞˇ ㄔㄚˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄇㄥˊ Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization náaihchàh lyùhnmàhng Jyutping naai5caa4 lyun4mang4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ ni-tê liân-bêng
Burmese name
Burmese	နို့လက်ဖက်ရည်မဟာမိတ်
Thai name
Thai	พันธมิตรชานม
RTGS	Phanthamit Cha Nom

The Milk Tea Alliance is an online democracy and human rights movement consisting mainly of netizens from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma). It originally started as an internet meme, created in response to the increased presence of Chinese nationalist commentators on social media and has evolved into a dynamic multinational protest movement against authoritarianism and advocating democracy. Aside from the four main countries mentioned, the movement has also established a significant presence in South Korea, the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belarus and Iran.

History

External image
Milk Tea Alliance memes published by "奶茶通俗學 Milktealogy" Facebook

In April 2020 during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, Thai actor Vachirawit "Bright" Chivaaree, the star of 2gether, a Thai TV drama that was also popular in China, reposted an image on Twitter which listed Hong Kong as a "country" despite it actually being a special administrative region of China. His post led to negative reactions from Chinese netizens, who attacked him and called for a boycott of his show. Vachirawit apologised and took the image down, but Chinese netizens soon discovered a post by his girlfriend, model Weeraya "Nnevvy" Sukaram, from 2017 which insinuated that Taiwan was an independent country despite it being claimed by China (Thailand currently has formal relations with the PRC only, but keeps an informal relation with Taiwan) and attacks continued, with insults targeting various aspects of Thailand, including Thai King Vajiralongkorn and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Thai netizens took to social media and defended Vachirawit with their criticism turning into more generalised criticism of China, launching a Twitter war with the hashtag #nnevvy. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok posted a long statement on Facebook condemning the online criticism and a fierce digital battle ensued between Thai netizens and the Chinese embassy. Within Thailand, support for Hong Kong and Taiwan's struggle against Chinese encroachment has unified the disparate groups of pro-democracy protesters with anti-Beijing sentiment becoming a part of their anti-authoritarian platform.

Twitter users in Taiwan and Hong Kong soon joined Thai users in what The Telegraph called "a rare moment of regional solidarity". Pallabi Munsi, writing in OZY, in July 2020, described the Milk Tea Alliance taking on 50 Cent Party and Little Pink as "Asia's volunteer army rising against China's internet trolls."

In April 2021, Twitter created an emoji in support of the Milk Tea Alliance following anti-Beijing protests across Hong Kong and the 2021 Myanmar coup. It marked the one year anniversary of the Milk Tea Alliance.

In the following months, the Milk Tea Alliance evolved from an anti-Beijing meme into a "leaderless protest movement pushing for change across Southeast Asia."

Following the 2020 China–India skirmishes, India has also been included in some formulations of the Alliance with masala chai being their representative variety of milk tea. Politicians in both Taiwan and India have highlighted the existence of the Milk Tea Alliance including Taiwanese representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim who used the hashtag in a tweet thanking Indians for their support. After Australia called for an investigation into the World Health Organization's handling of the COVID-19, China threatened a consumer boycott if Australia did not back down from its demands for an inquest. Netizens then included Australia as a member of the Milk Tea Alliance, however, the relation to milk tea is tenuous with the milk product Aptamil standing in for an actual variety of milk tea in imagery.

In August 2020 renewed pro-democracy protests in Thailand, the largest since the 2014 military coup, drew support and solidarity from Taiwanese and Hong Kongers including activist Joshua Wong. The hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance was heavily used by protesters. The 2020 Belarusian protests broke out in August following opposition rejection to the results of the presidential election. Activists from the country, inspired by the Milk Tea Alliance, began to use Ryazhenka, a traditional fermented milk product drink of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine as a symbol of resistance to the government of Alexander Lukashenko.

In February 2021, in the wake of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, activists in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand began adopting the Milk Tea Alliance in show of solidarity, with pictures of Royal Myanmar Tea bags shared thousands of times. An illustration by Thai artist Sina Wittayawiroj that depicts Thai, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Indian and Burmese milk tea under the "Milk Tea Alliance" headline went viral. The anti-coup protesters have been solidly integrated into the online protest movement.

The Diplomat describes the Milk Tea Alliance, despite it not being institutionalised, as a pro-democracy alternative to ASEAN. In Myanmar's case especially, The Diplomat considers it to be "a central force in shaping the way Myanmar's youth understand the current battle between pro-democracy protesters and their vastly better armed opponents, a predicament faced by other youth in neighboring countries."

Name

Milk tea refers to the common drink found between the first founding three members: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Netizens Myanmar and India, who joined later on, also shares their own variations of tea with milk. Taiwanese bubble tea, Hong Kong-style milk tea, Thai tea and Burmese lahpet are all local variations of milk tea with strong similarities.

Organization

The movement does not have a formal leadership or hierarchy.

See also

• Pan-Asianism
• Post–Cold War era
• Anti-authoritarianism
• Overseas censorship of Chinese issues
• Freedom Pineapple
• Tangwai movement, a democracy movement against the Kuomintang during one-party rule in Taiwan

References

1. ^ "【我們信靠奶茶】「泰幽默」擊退「小粉紅」 泰港台三地網民籲組「奶茶聯盟」齊抗中國網軍". 立場新聞. 16 April 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
2. ^ Tanakasempipat, Patpicha. "Young Thais join 'Milk Tea Alliance' in online backlash that angers Beijing". mobile.reuters.com. Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
3. Bunyavejchewin, Poowin. "Will the 'Milk Tea War' Have a Lasting Impact on China-Thailand Relations?". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
4. ^ "#MilkTeaAlliance has a new target brewing: Myanmar's military". South China Morning Post. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
5. McDevitt, Dan. "'In Milk Tea We Trust': How a Thai-Chinese Meme War Led to a New (Online) Pan-Asia Alliance". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
6. Lau, Jessie. "Why the Taiwanese are thinking more about their identity". www.newstatesman.com. New Statesman. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
7. "'Milk Tea Alliance' pushes for democracy vs China's authoritarianism". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
8. Chan, Christina (2 May 2020). "Milk is thicker than blood: An unlikely digital alliance between Thailand, Hong Kong & Taiwan". hongkongfp.com. Hong Kong Free Press. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
9. Teixeira, Lauren. "Thais Show How to Beat China's Online Army". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
10. ^ Chen, Heather. "Milk Tea Alliance: How A Meme Brought Activists From Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand Together". www.vice.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
11. ^ Barron, Laignee (28 October 2020). "'We Share the Ideals of Democracy.' How the Milk Tea Alliance Is Brewing Solidarity Among Activists in Asia and Beyond". time.com. Time. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
12. Smith, Nicola (3 May 2020). "#MilkTeaAlliance: New Asian youth movement battles Chinese trolls". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
13. Munsi, Pallabi (15 July 2020). "The Asian Volunteer Army Rising Against China's Internet Trolls". OZY. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
14. "Milk Tea Alliance: Twitter creates emoji for pro-democracy activists". BBC News. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
15. Castronuovo, Celine (8 April 2021). "Twitter unveils emoji for pro-democracy Milk Tea Alliance". TheHill. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
16. Tanakasempipat, Patpicha (8 April 2021). "Twitter launches 'Milk Tea Alliance' emoji as movement grows". Reuters. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
17. "Twitter launches emoji to support Milk Tea Alliance, one year after hashtag first appeared". South China Morning Post. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
18. Cite error: The named reference The Print was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
19. Cheng, Jassie Hsi. "The Taiwan–India 'Milk Tea Alliance'". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
20. Everington, Keoni. "Photo of the Day: Australia joins Milk Tea Alliance with Taiwan". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
21. Patpicha, Tanakasempipat; Chow, Yanni. "Pro-Democracy Milk Tea Alliance Brews in Asia". www.usnews.com. US News and World Report. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
22. Fenn, Kirsten (6 November 2020). "'We Share the Ideals of Democracy.' How the Milk Tea Alliance Is Brewing Solidarity Among Activists in Asia and Beyond". www.cbc.ca. CBC Radio. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
23. Chachavalpongpun, Pavin (2020). "Constitutionalizing the Monarchy". Journal of International Affairs. 73 (2): 169. ISSN 0022-197X. JSTOR 26939972.
24. Lau, Jessie. "Myanmar's Protest Movement Finds Friends in the Milk Tea Alliance". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
25. Chia, Jasmine; Singer, Scott. "How the Milk Tea Alliance Is Remaking Myanmar". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
26. "What is the Milk Tea Alliance?". The Economist. 24 March 2021. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
27. Wu, Wendy. "Milk Tea Alliance brews trouble for China". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

v t e 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests
Part of democratic development in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict
Causes	Extradition bill Murder of Poon Hiu-wing Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict Umbrella Revolution
History	Timeline 2019 March–June July August September October November December 2020 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2021 January February March April May June July August September–November Incidents 12 June Storming of the Legislative Council Complex Yuen Long attack Hong Kong Way Prince Edward station attack CUHK conflict Siege of PolyU 2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China Elections 2019 District Council election 2021 Legislative Council election pro-democracy primaries disqualification controversy postponement mass resignations mass arrests Deaths Chan Yin-lam Chow Tsz-lok Luo Changqing Marco Leung Ling-kit
Police misconduct	Allegations of police misconduct Controversies of the Hong Kong Police Force Independent Police Complaints Council
Tactics and methods	Music "Glory to Hong Kong" "Do You Hear the People Sing?" "Sing Hallelujah to the Lord" "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido" Symbols Black Bauhinia flag Guy Fawkes mask Lady Liberty Hong Kong Pepe the Frog Winnie-the-Pooh Others Art and music Social media Boycotts of Chinese products HKmap.live LIHKG Lennon Wall "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" Liberate Hong Kong Spark Alliance Telegram Yellow economic circle
Reactions	Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation judicial review Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong Be Water Act 2020 Hong Kong national security law NPCSC's decision local effects international responses Hong Kong Autonomy Act Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act
Related articles	COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong Blitzchung controversy Civil Human Rights Front Demosistō Disappearance of Simon Cheng Emergency Regulations Ordinance Fujian gang Hong Kong nationalism Human rights in Hong Kong Lam chau Memorials for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests 30th 31st 32nd Milk Tea Alliance National Anthem Ordinance Reclaim Sheung Shui San Uk Ling Holding Centre
Commons Category

• 2020 neologisms
• Anti-Chinese sentiment in Asia
• Anti-communism
• Democracy promotion
• Hashtags
• Internet-based activism
• Internet culture
• Milk tea
• Political movements in Asia
• Social media campaigns
• Social movements in Asia
• Tea in Asia
• Hong Kong–Taiwan relations