THE MILK TEA ALLIANCE
The Milk Tea Alliance emerged in early 2020 when a Thai actor received backlash from Chinese nationalists on the internet after liking a photo on Twitter that listed Hong Kong as a country. Thai netizens (citizens of the internet), later joined by Hong Kong and Taiwanese counterparts, pushed back against pro-Beijing netizens. The hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance was used online as a means to bond internet users from Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. While these three countries all experience threats to democracy, they also drink versions of milk tea which differ from tea drunk in China. A year later, there were more than one million tweets with the hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance, prompting Twitter to launch an official emoji for the movement.
From protests against the National Security Law in Hong Kong to the anti-government protests in Thailand, the Milk Tea Alliance symbolises the unity of Asian countries against undemocratic forces, whether it be the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the military, or both. The recent coup in Myanmar, and the deadly crackdown on civilians that followed, have further strengthened the alliance beyond social media platforms as activists held rallies across the region.
While the Milk Tea Alliance largely revolves around the fight for a democratic future, a closer look at each country in the Alliance shows how wider government protests can expose other forms of injustice. In Myanmar, the anti-coup protests have brought attention to the rights of women, and the routine marginalisation and violation of rights of members of the LGBT community and ethnic minorities during the years of military rule.
THE VALUE OF INTERCONNECTEDNESS
The overall nature of the Milk Tea Alliance is fluid. The internet and social media have connected individuals from all corners of the globe to form mobile and leaderless movements. The success and reach of the Milk Tea Alliance is a nod to an increasingly international and decentralised world order: anyone with a connection to Wi-Fi can participate in everyday acts of resistance. Movements for social change have become less rigid and traditional, and more inclusive and diverse. Additionally participation in protests is being promoted among all age groups.
Starting from the use of hashtags, people have utilised their social media savviness to spread information, organise protests, directly express concerns, and demand change from those who hold accountable positions, regardless of geographical situation. The interconnectedness of the global social media community means movements can learn from and be inspired by one another, which creates intersectional solidarity.
During the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests of 2020, Hong Kong frontline activists were seen in various online circles, sharing protest tactics with American protesters, on how to manage police brutality. Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong publicly voiced his own support for the movement, highlighting the shared oppression of state violence faced by both the Milk Tea Alliance and BLM movements.
During the current resurgence of the global Free Palestine movement, BLM vocally affirmed their solidarity with Palestinians on Twitter, while in the West Bank on the infamous Bethlehem Wall there is a mural of George Floyd. At the same time in Kashmir, locals were being arrested for pro-Palestinian protests. All of these actions speak to a wider narrative of occupation and structural oppression that are bigger than just one country, where the same issues are faced by regions all over the globe, including Kashmir, Palestine and Hong Kong.
The Milk Tea Alliance has been using social media to show solidarity among the core countries, as well as to share knowledge. Most notably, the HK19 Manual is a publicly available document crowdsourced by Hong Kongers that details invaluable tactics for future protest organisation. It has been translated into Burmese, and widely shared on different social media platforms, and is already being used by protesters in Myanmar. The dissemination of the HK19 Manual is an example of how leaderless movements have been built and supported by a transnational network. The avenues for innovative and unseen international networked activism are unlimited in a world where technology is evolving this rapidly.
#METOO PROVED THE VALUE OF ONLINE ACTIVISM
Despite the challenges faced by using social media as a tool for activism, there is still power in using this tool for promoting global and intersectional causes. The #MeToo movement not only changed our culture, but also started to change legal and political landscapes. For the first time, violence and harassment in the workplace is covered under the International Labour Organization (ILO) treaty, Convention on Violence and Harassment 2019. It is now up to individual states to ratify and implement the treaty, which “obliges governments to require employers to have workplace policies addressing violence and harassment, risk assessments, prevention measures, and training”. Of course, employers should take on these responsibilities regardless of ratification. Several US states have passed laws to limit the use of non-disclosure agreements, which have previously been used by many employers to silence victims of workplace abuse. The success of #MeToo and its ongoing efforts show that online movements not only provide a space for marginalised voices but can also serve as a vehicle for real change.
SOCIAL MEDIA MOVEMENTS NOT “REAL” ACTIVISM
Many authors have questioned the use of online activism, such as the Milk Tea Alliance, as an effective tool for real change, questioning whether the result is just “slacktivism”. Slacktivism refers to the notion that online forms of activism can often be performative, and that these movements do not progress beyond a simple click, such as sharing or liking a post on social media. Because they are easy to participate in, the individual has less buy-in, and so it is questioned whether the movement can actually lead to revolution or reform. Popular movements can lose momentum as the social media clicks and likes reduce.
One of the biggest criticisms of the online Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020 was that it was just a form of slacktivism. Social media users posted a black square on their social media profile to show support, but this actually had the effect of drowning out vital information on social media.
Combating authoritarianism is a challenging task, especially when anti-democracy ideals are so deeply rooted. Because of this, any permanent reform must be rooted in the everyday groundwork actions and experiences of the countries in the Milk Tea Alliance. Attention should still be focused on the voices of activists at the grassroots level and those participating in physical protests. As Wilson China Fellow Austin Wang explains, the “#MilkTeaAlliance invites like-minded partners around the world to defend and promote democratic ideals, but the continuation of the #MilkTeaAlliance movement still depends on its ability to bring enough political change to those who desperately desire and need it”.
LACK OF GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR THE MILK TEA ALLIANCE
Another concern about the value of social media activism is that these mobile movements are not as connected as we are led to believe. Other movements saw global engagement and validation, such as BLM, School Strike for Climate, #MeToo, and Free Palestine. Unfortunately, the Milk Tea Alliance cause has not received such widespread attention, and at this time appears to be more limited to Asia and Asian communities. It is concerning that a movement may require more Western input to foster true global interconnectedness and solidarity that these movements seek.
The underlying ideas behind the Milk Tea Alliance should not be limited to regional discontent, given that across the globe many groups are fighting against similar forms of structural oppression in various contexts.
THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL INTERSECTIONAL SOLIDARITY
Social media-based movements have a powerful potential as a tool for real change. Activists of the future should look for ways to harness the potential of global intersectional solidarity. If achieved, it could give rise to movements that would truly be revolutionary for all those participating, and could reshape civil society in the international community in a way previously unseen. These movements would cross borders and seas, maintain awareness, momentum and pressure over social media, while also promoting the groundwork being done by frontline activists for physical action
The fluid nature of online spaces has enabled movements to progress and unite across numerous intersections. Social media has enabled unity and solidarity across countries, regions, ethnicities, political affiliations, gender, race, and more. Any fight for equality is in the best interests of every individual, regardless of location and identity. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “a threat to injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.
Yatana is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University. She holds an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.