OMG #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> https://twitter.com/Policy/status/1379982377728974848">https://twitter.com/Policy/st...
We were waiting for later this week for a longer thread - the #MilkTeaAnniversary is more like mid-April - but for those who can& #39;t wait, the thread below walks through how #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> came into being. It& #39;s Very Online. https://twitter.com/NiaoCollective/status/1320613362267545600?s=20">https://twitter.com/NiaoColle...
And this one collects protest art from HKers for our Thai friends in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> back in October https://twitter.com/NiaoCollective/status/1317907859238256644?s=20">https://twitter.com/NiaoColle...
And this one collects protest art from HKers for our Burmese friends in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> from February https://twitter.com/NiaoCollective/status/1361230011806724099?s=20">https://twitter.com/NiaoColle...
Last but not least - we& #39;re a movement without an official mascot/ Divine Beast, but the Rubber Ducky (we& #39;ve been calling him Watt, the Duck) can *maybe* claim to be it: https://twitter.com/AntiOneChinaTH/status/1331496034787180544?s=20">https://twitter.com/AntiOneCh...
Also, there& #39;s no General Meeting to confirm membership, and we& #39;re sure we& #39;re missing members, but if you want to follow the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> gang:

@AllianceMilkTea
@MilkTeaMM_MTAM
@Milktea_Myanmar
@MilkTeaTH_MTAT
@MYmilkteh
@mta_PH
@IDmilktea
@milktea_iran (!?)
One more - for those who like protest art, @Raise2Fingers and @MKTmagic have been showcasing quite a lot. @MKTmagic were the ones who created the Milk Tea girls representing the original #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> crew of Taiwan, HK and Thailand https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙂" title="Leicht lächelndes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Leicht lächelndes Gesicht">: https://twitter.com/MKTmagic/status/1301849796978728968?s=20">https://twitter.com/MKTmagic/...
Full list of emoji-fied terms... seems like Twitter says Korea should join the Alliance too https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😬" title="Grimasse schneidendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Grimasse schneidendes Gesicht">. The more the merrier!

#MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#နို့လက်ဖက်ရည်မဟာမိတ် https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#ชานมข้นกว่าเลือด https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#พันธมิตรชานม https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#밀크티동맹 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#奶茶聯盟 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#奶茶联盟 https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
#nnevvy https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">
For those who want a trip down memory lane: https://twitter.com/tracingtheworld/status/1249124881075183619?s=20">https://twitter.com/tracingth...
If the early skirmishes of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> seemed slight, it& #39;s worth noting it was a more innocent time just a year ago.

It was before #BLM, the fall of HK, Belarus elections, Lebanon explosion, Thai protests, #EndSARS https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> , Indian farmers protest, Senegal, Myanmar coup...
The #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is only part of the larger story of the people reclaiming their voices these past few years. Many other activists have bled for their causes - seeking equality, better governance, greater representation etc.

May we all find each other, and our peace.
*nods*

"Milk tea" is kinda perfect? We all drink tea, but in vastly different ways; and many did *not* start out drinking it with milk - that& #39;s a legacy of colonialism, we just... adapted.

Source: TG (April 2020)
https://twitter.com/jeannette_ng/status/1380368835069546498?s=20">https://twitter.com/jeannette...
The question has been posed in good faith & bad - why isn& #39;t PRC part of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">?

Short answer: This has been mostly a Very Online Alliance on Twitter, and... most mainland Chinese citizens are just not on Twitter, because of GFW.

1/3 https://twitter.com/jeannette_ng/status/1380369304529539076?s=20">https://twitter.com/jeannette...
Longer: It& #39;d be super cool to fight side by side with some human rights lawyer or labour rights activist on the mainland, but... *looks around*. VPNs aren& #39;t 100% secure, and some peeps are only on here for fandom stuff (which is fine!).

2/3
But this also means the loudest PRC *politics* accts here are likely those whose presence is condoned, and whose raison d& #39;etre is to not engage in good faith.

The challenge is for MTA to not let that colour views on working with potential allies who *do* want democracy.

3/3
Very fluid! These appeared on the same day on Telegram, on had the original HK, Taiwan & Thailand, and the other imagined very pan-Asian, very handsome Alliance, with Vietnam and Philippines in the mix.

Source: TG (April 2020)

https://twitter.com/jeannette_ng/status/1380369887453970440?s=20">https://twitter.com/jeannette...
Very fluid! These appeared on the same day on Telegram, on had the original HK, Taiwan & Thailand, and the other imagined very pan-Asian, very handsome Alliance, with Vietnam and Philippines in the mix.Source: TG (April 2020) https://twitter.com/jeannette...
Very fluid! These appeared on the same day on Telegram, on had the original HK, Taiwan & Thailand, and the other imagined very pan-Asian, very handsome Alliance, with Vietnam and Philippines in the mix.Source: TG (April 2020) https://twitter.com/jeannette...
These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...

Source: TG (April 2020)
These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...Source: TG (April 2020)" title="These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...Source: TG (April 2020)">
These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...Source: TG (April 2020)" title="These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...Source: TG (April 2020)">
These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...Source: TG (April 2020)" title="These were also from April - introduces some other potential #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> members - Mongolia (salty milk tea), Tibet (yak milk tea), East Turkestan/ the Uyghurs (butter milk tea!)...Source: TG (April 2020)">
In late June, after the China–India skirmishes in Ladakh resulted in casualties, the below appeared - #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> seems to have adopted India as a member. This one ... didn& #39;t really stick, but we& #39;ll see India again later.

Source: TG (June 2020)
In August, Belarus and Thailand protests kicked off. We& #39;ve not tracked them in #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> art *proper*, but... over those few months, the movements standing together were HK, Thailand, Belarus... and Lebanon, who suffered a devastating explosion.

Source: TG (Sep/Oct 2020)
In August, Belarus and Thailand protests kicked off. We& #39;ve not tracked them in #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= art *proper*, but... over those few months, the movements standing together were HK, Thailand, Belarus... and Lebanon, who suffered a devastating explosion.Source: TG (Sep/Oct 2020)" title="In August, Belarus and Thailand protests kicked off. We& #39;ve not tracked them in #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> art *proper*, but... over those few months, the movements standing together were HK, Thailand, Belarus... and Lebanon, who suffered a devastating explosion.Source: TG (Sep/Oct 2020)">
In August, Belarus and Thailand protests kicked off. We& #39;ve not tracked them in #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= art *proper*, but... over those few months, the movements standing together were HK, Thailand, Belarus... and Lebanon, who suffered a devastating explosion.Source: TG (Sep/Oct 2020)" title="In August, Belarus and Thailand protests kicked off. We& #39;ve not tracked them in #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> art *proper*, but... over those few months, the movements standing together were HK, Thailand, Belarus... and Lebanon, who suffered a devastating explosion.Source: TG (Sep/Oct 2020)">
Belarus never truly & #39;left& #39; either - the graffiti below was from HK, just a few weeks ago. It says

"Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times!"
"Myanmar, add oil!"
"Thailand, add oil!"
"Belarus, add oil!"

Source: TG (Mar 2021)
And... that support is mutual too. They gave the three-finger salute to #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> just a week ago. And the sign from a August March listed Iran, Lebanon, Ecuador and HK standing in solidarity. We will see Iran again...

Source: TG (Aug 2020)

https://twitter.com/bielorussi/status/1376198035244511240?s=20">https://twitter.com/bieloruss...
In February, Myanmar saw a bloody coup which overthrew the democratically-elected government. The #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> grew, as did our hashtags, as we can see from @monkmonkii& #39;s doodle below. Note that #Tibet and #Uyghur are part of the list of causes.

Source: TG (Feb 2021)
February was when we saw India & #39;re-enter& #39; the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> protest art, this time more focused on #IndianFarmerProtest which started in August 2020 against the government& #39;s new laws on agriculture. The protests are still ongoing. @MilkTea_India

Source: TG (Feb 2020)
February was when we saw India & #39;re-enter& #39; the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= protest art, this time more focused on #IndianFarmerProtest which started in August 2020 against the government& #39;s new laws on agriculture. The protests are still ongoing. @MilkTea_India Source: TG (Feb 2020)" title="February was when we saw India & #39;re-enter& #39; the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> protest art, this time more focused on #IndianFarmerProtest which started in August 2020 against the government& #39;s new laws on agriculture. The protests are still ongoing. @MilkTea_India Source: TG (Feb 2020)">
February was when we saw India & #39;re-enter& #39; the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= protest art, this time more focused on #IndianFarmerProtest which started in August 2020 against the government& #39;s new laws on agriculture. The protests are still ongoing. @MilkTea_India Source: TG (Feb 2020)" title="February was when we saw India & #39;re-enter& #39; the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> protest art, this time more focused on #IndianFarmerProtest which started in August 2020 against the government& #39;s new laws on agriculture. The protests are still ongoing. @MilkTea_India Source: TG (Feb 2020)">
Indonesia also started being featured in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> protest art. Indonesians have been protesting through 2020 over the & #39;Omnibus Law& #39;, which stripped away labour protection & relaxed environmental protections. @IDmilktea

Source: TG (Left: Feb 2020/ Right: 2019)
Indonesia also started being featured in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= protest art. Indonesians have been protesting through 2020 over the & #39;Omnibus Law& #39;, which stripped away labour protection & relaxed environmental protections. @IDmilktea Source: TG (Left: Feb 2020/ Right: 2019)" title="Indonesia also started being featured in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> protest art. Indonesians have been protesting through 2020 over the & #39;Omnibus Law& #39;, which stripped away labour protection & relaxed environmental protections. @IDmilktea Source: TG (Left: Feb 2020/ Right: 2019)">
Indonesia also started being featured in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= protest art. Indonesians have been protesting through 2020 over the & #39;Omnibus Law& #39;, which stripped away labour protection & relaxed environmental protections. @IDmilktea Source: TG (Left: Feb 2020/ Right: 2019)" title="Indonesia also started being featured in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> protest art. Indonesians have been protesting through 2020 over the & #39;Omnibus Law& #39;, which stripped away labour protection & relaxed environmental protections. @IDmilktea Source: TG (Left: Feb 2020/ Right: 2019)">
And then, there& #39;s Iran. We don& #39;t know why and when either. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😅" title="Lächelndes Gesicht mit offenem Mund und Angstschweiß" aria-label="Emoji: Lächelndes Gesicht mit offenem Mund und Angstschweiß"> But China had signed some military agreement with Iran in 2020, which was not popular, and more importantly -what ties most of the MTA together - Iran had also seen protests 2019-2020. @MilkTea_Iran
Whoops, almost missed the Philippines! Our friends there have been protesting against Duterte since & #39;16, and have been fighting last year to #JunkTerrorLaw, which like HK& #39;s NSL could be used against critics of the govt. @mta_PH

Source: TG (March 2021)

https://twitter.com/mta_PH/status/1318484876408991744?s=20">https://twitter.com/mta_PH/st...
So, back to the original point - "membership" of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is very fluid.

But more interesting is seeing how the many protest movements interacted, how activists expanded their networks, and shared strategies and shoulders to cry on.

Source: TG (Apr 2020)
Had things been a little different, the Alliance might have been the protest & #39;cohort& #39; of 2019:

Chile, whose protest words- "We can& #39;t go back to normal, because & #39;normal& #39; that existed is the problem."- crossed oceans and found its ways to HK...

Source: TG (L: Nov 19, R: Mar 20)
Had things been a little different, the Alliance might have been the protest & #39;cohort& #39; of 2019: Chile, whose protest words- "We can& #39;t go back to normal, because & #39;normal& #39; that existed is the problem."- crossed oceans and found its ways to HK...Source: TG (L: Nov 19, R: Mar 20)
Had things been a little different, the Alliance might have been the protest & #39;cohort& #39; of 2019: Chile, whose protest words- "We can& #39;t go back to normal, because & #39;normal& #39; that existed is the problem."- crossed oceans and found its ways to HK...Source: TG (L: Nov 19, R: Mar 20)
...or Lebanon, where graffitied hands reached across continents to HKers, where our demands for democracy & rights were theirs too...

Source: TG (2019)
The #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> has also supported #BlackLivesMatter https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">, #EndSARS https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> and #FreeSenegal most recently. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten"> Far away places, but there& #39;s a recognition of shared humanity, of common causes, of similar uphill battles against unyielding institutions. https://twitter.com/mta_PH/status/1368404829538684930?s=20">https://twitter.com/mta_PH/st...
One lovely aspect of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is it& #39;s allowed activists across the globe to join forces to protest for each other *IRL*. Joshua Wong called suspending sales of teargas to Thailand; Thai protesters rallied for him, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">

Source: TG Nov & #39;20
One lovely aspect of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= is it& #39;s allowed activists across the globe to join forces to protest for each other *IRL*. Joshua Wong called suspending sales of teargas to Thailand; Thai protesters rallied for him, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">Source: TG Nov & #39;20" title="One lovely aspect of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is it& #39;s allowed activists across the globe to join forces to protest for each other *IRL*. Joshua Wong called suspending sales of teargas to Thailand; Thai protesters rallied for him, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">Source: TG Nov & #39;20">
One lovely aspect of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable= is it& #39;s allowed activists across the globe to join forces to protest for each other *IRL*. Joshua Wong called suspending sales of teargas to Thailand; Thai protesters rallied for him, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">Source: TG Nov & #39;20" title="One lovely aspect of the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is it& #39;s allowed activists across the globe to join forces to protest for each other *IRL*. Joshua Wong called suspending sales of teargas to Thailand; Thai protesters rallied for him, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">Source: TG Nov & #39;20">
But what& #39;s made #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> a balm for these cursed times is it& #39;s allowed activists to find each other. When photos of watercannons being used on Thais hit HK TG channels, the words that went with them were simple:

"We understand. And we stand with you."

Source: TG Oct & #39;20
A lot of activists in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> are tired. The scars from fighting regimes/ tankies for years run deep, but it& #39;s hard to articulate the pain. If you understand, you don’t need the words, and if you don’t understand, no words would suffice.

Source: TG Sep & #39;19
The #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> is where activists can resist, but also rest. No gaslighting, no one to tell you your struggle is fake, that you do not exist. Just support & understanding. From all corners of the globe.

This is solidarity.

Source: TG Feb & #39;20
What& #39;s next for #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">? Part of us hopes it won& #39;t have to grow bigger - no one should ever need to learn how to make put out teargas or build homemade shields to dodge live bullets.

Source: TG & #39;20
But it& #39;s also encouraging to see activists build a vast network of allies & resistance knowledge over such short time, in the face of such bad odds. If #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> continues to grow, maybe it just means ppl more can find support in their fights for democracy.

Source: TG & #39;20
Campaigns have focused on multinationals & forced labour. This comes after joint boycott efforts (eg. #BoycottMulan) & campaigns over ecological issues (eg. #StopMekongDam). And fierce fighting continues in Myanmar. That& #39;s a lot for a 1 year old Alliance.

Source: TG Feb & #39;21
There& #39;s also the bigger fight that unites us in the #MilkTeaAlliance https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> - *against* imperialism and *for* democracy.

We& #39;re just people, trying to live.
We& #39;re just people, trying to live free.

And so, to all our friends, fight on.

Liberation for all! Revolution of our times!
You can follow @NiaoCollective.
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