April 13 is celebrated as the traditional New Year’s Eve in Thailand and also kicks off the vibrant Songkran water festival festivities. During this holiday period, Thais who work away from home often visit their hometowns and reunite with family. However, in 2020, as travel restrictions were imposed, the digital world buzzed with what later became the viral hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance on Twitter (today’s X). Although the memory of the Milk Tea Alliance may have faded for some, it was only four years ago that it sparked an internet “war” between Thai and Chinese netizens over a controversial issue. to China’s sovereignty – particularly the status of Hong Kong and Taiwan. .
The Alliance symbolized a unique transnational coalition among netizens on social media platforms as it gained traction among anti-government and anti-regime activists in Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan. Hong Kong and Thailand were grappling with mass movements in their localities, while Taiwan was struggling to gain international recognition of its sovereignty. However, as protests in Hong Kong, Thailand and Myanmar, which later joined the Milk Tea Alliance discourse after the February 2021 military coup, have subsided and other political consequences manifested themselves, the popularity of this alliance seems to have subsequently declined.
On April 4, 2020, a seemingly harmless retweet by Vachirawit Chivaaree, also known as Bright, a Thai celebrity, sparked a storm online. He liked a tweet that included a photo of Hong Kong and called it “country.» This retweet suddenly gained attention online due to the scale of Bright’s fandom, causing an uproar online, especially among his Chinese fans. The controversy grew further after Chinese fans discovered that Bright’s girlfriend, known online as Nnevvy, had retweeted a message job alleging that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Additionally, a comment on Instagram during his trip to Taiwan was perceived by Chinese nationalist netizens as supportive of Taiwan independence and disrespectful to mainland Chinese people.
Instead of remaining passive, Thai netizens reiterated their position before netizens from other countries, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, joined the Thai side to fight against Chinese nationalists. Shortly after, the term “Milk Tea Alliance” was coined by a Hong Kong netizen early on the morning of April 13, a term that later played a role in an attempt to forge and strengthen cross-border interaction between activists and protesters in the region.
Through existing transnational networks among activists in the region, the Alliance has transcended the digital realm and made its mark in offline spaces. Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong and Thailand have incorporated Milk Tea Alliance-related discourse into their national movements, leveraging its symbolism and messaging to amplify their cause. When the Free Youth Movement in Thailand began in July 2020, symbols and messages related to the Milk Tea Alliance, including concerns on the influence and policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), were presented in the movement. Furthermore, transnational solidarity campaigns under the banner of the Alliance have emerged elsewhere.
Furthermore, when the Spring Revolution broke out in Myanmar in February 2021 against the military coup, Milk Tea Alliance netizens immediately welcomed Myanmar as a new member and launched several solidarity campaigns. The 2020-2021 period could be considered the peak of the Milk Tea Alliance, as it attracted public attention and was featured in several protests and campaigns. However, its importance has gradually declined and disappeared from the media space and street politics following significant developments, such as the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020, the decline of youth protests in Thailand and the transition from peaceful to civil protests. war in Myanmar.
Although the Milk Tea Alliance has faded from public attention and consciousness, dedicated activist groups persist in keeping its flame alive. In Thailand, the movement’s country of origin, some activist groups are still working to defend programs associated with the Milk Tea Alliance’s rhetoric. This may be seen in original and translated monographs published by Sam Yan Press, a student publishing house based in Bangkok. Dedicated to promoting democracy, justice and human rights, the press continually publishes books that inform readers about issues related to the Milk Tea Alliance, such as the foreign policy of the China and human rights issues.
In addition to publishing and political outreach, some form of activism related to the Milk Tea Alliance still takes place primarily online. For example, the account ‘#MilkTeaAlliance Friends of Myanmar‘on They issue several statements, hold weekly online meetings, and occasionally meet in person to strengthen networks and collaborations within the region’s activist network. Similarly, Milk Tea Alliance groups in other Southeast Asian countries, such as IndonesiaMalaysia, The PhilippinesAnd Thailand, also continue to defend their struggles for democracy and their causes from their localities. Additionally, they extend their support to global human rights concerns, as evidenced by recent advocacy for peace in Ukraine and Palestine.
In Hong Kong, however, the Milk Tea Alliance or, in fact, anything related to political resistance and civil disobedience is barely visible after the implementation of the national security law in 2020. While the Symbols and conversations of the Alliance disappeared from the public spaces of the city spaces, they appeared in a new place – Japan. In Japan, a country that had no early involvement in the Milk Tea Alliance, there is a surprising attempt to establish the “Milk Tea Alliance – Japan“. Led by a group of people from Japan, Hong Kong, Myanmar and Thailand residing in Japan, the initiative aims to strengthen diaspora activism there. Additionally, the Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association continues to promote Milk Tea Alliance Project, providing technical support and facilitating collaboration and communication between locations that appeared to be key Alliance sites, including Thailand and Hong Kong. Through these efforts, the Association also aims to raise global awareness of Taiwan and promote democracy in the region.
After four years, the Alliance appears to have faded from mainstream attention and many activist groups have abandoned the term of their campaigns. This decline is particularly evident in places like Hong Kong. Despite this decline in popularity, there are still dedicated groups who continue to work and define themselves as part of the Milk Tea Alliance, and an increase in activity is seen in new countries like Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia. These movements internalized the Alliance and integrated it into their activism work aimed at fostering transnational collaboration and supporting human rights and democracy in Asia. In other words, the Alliance has evolved from a widespread hashtag and online movement to a more localized form of activism with a transnational character and a symbol of transnational solidarity.
The Milk Tea Alliance provides a new perspective to observe and examine international relations in East and Southeast Asia, from a bottom-up perspective. Unlike a more common approach using nation-states as the primary level of analysis, the alliance highlights the importance of people-to-people connections in regional and international policymaking. By tapping into the theme of public diplomacy, the Milk Tea Alliance serves as an expression of public sentiments toward Chinese politics, as well as broader issues such as nation branding and efforts to public diplomacy.
Further reading on international electronic relations
