Twitter launches emoji for #MilkTeaAlliance as movement fans anti-China wave

Social media giant Twitter on April 8 launched an emoji for the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’ which is a global online pro-democracy movement uniting anti-China campaigners in Hong Kong and Taiwan with those in Thailand, Myanmar. Marking the first anniversary of the movement, Twitter’s emoji launch was welcomed by several activists. The emoji consists of a white cup set against a background of three colours that represent the different shades of milk tea in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. 

Basically, the Milk Tea Alliance budded from a Twitter war that struck after Chinese nationalists accused a young Thai actor and his girlfriend of supporting democracy in Hong Kong and independence in a self-ruled democratic island, Taiwan. The pro-democracy online movement is named after a shared love for sweet tea drinks in all three places battling pro-Beijing influence. 

In February, the use of the hashtag again sprang on social media following the military coup in Myanmar with demonstrators in the Southeast Asian country using the hashtag and rallying regional support. Apart from Milk Tea Alliance, Twitter has previously shown its support to other social movements with emojis for #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter.

Twitter in a statement said, “To celebrate the first anniversary of the #MilkTeaAlliance, we designed an emoji featuring 3 different types of milk tea colours from regions where the Alliance first formed online.”

“We have seen more than 11 million Tweets featuring the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag over the past year. Conversations peaked when it first appeared in April 2020, and again in February 2021 when the coup took place in MyanmarFlag of Myanmar,” it added.

Activists hail Twitter for the move

Prominent activist including Joshua Wong, who became one of the many faces to lead Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. One internet user wrote, “Thank you Twitter for supporting Myanmar.” Since Myanmar military has even imposed overnight internet shutdowns and mobile data restrictions to intensify its clampdown on anti-junta protesters. Myanmar forces have even ordered the local telecom service providers to block access to social media sites which demonstrators are now accessing with the help of reportedly foreign SIM cards. 

"We strongly believe that having access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential right and remain a staunch defender and advocate of free expression and condemn #InternetShutdowns," Twitter said in its announcement of the new emoji.

Image credits: AP/Unsplash