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

Social media giant Twitter on April 8 launched an emoji for ‘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 first anniversary of movement, Twitter’s emoji launch was welcomed by several activists. emoji consists of a white cup set against a background of three colours that represent different shes of milk tea in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. 

Basically, 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. pro-democracy online movement is named after a shared love for sweet tea drinks in all three places battling pro-Beijing influence. 

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

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

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

Activists hail Twitter for move

Prominent activist including Joshua Wong, who became one of many faces to le 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 local telecom service providers to block access to social media sites which demonstrators are w accessing with help of reportedly foreign SIM cards. 

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

Im credits: AP/Unsplash