The Grass-Mud Horse Lexicon is called after an unassuming alpaca who galumphed previous the censors in 2009 to turn into a Chinese language web sensation. Within the lengthy decade since, the Lexicon has tracked on-line resistance discourse in 365 entries and counting. On occasion, we are going to characteristic an entry from the Lexicon value having on the prepared.
Right this moment’s choice will not be from behind the Nice Firewall, however it’s a very important ingredient of Sinophone resistance discourse.
The Milk Tea Alliance is a web based solidarity motion between pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Myanmar. It was began in 2020 by activists concerned in social actions throughout East and Southeast Asia, however has since expanded to embody the netizenry of Nepal, India, and past. Properly-known youth activists, together with Joshua Wong in Hong Kong, Bunkueanun “Francis” Paothong in Thailand, and others have lent their help to the alliance, as have politicians in Taiwan and India.
The title was impressed by the recognition of the drink in every of the nations concerned within the alliance. A casual tri-colored Milk Tea Alliance flag represents the colour of the totally different milk tea variants in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Netizens from Myanmar, Nepal, and India, later additions to the alliance, additionally get pleasure from their very own variants of the favored beverage.
Origins
The #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag started its life as a meme in response to the harassment of a younger Thai actor and his girlfriend by Chinese language nationalists. Vachirawit Chivaaree, the star of a Thai drama widespread in China, and his girlfriend Weeraya “Nnevvy” Sukaram had been harassed by the Fifty Cent Occasion and little pinks after they found content material on the pair’s respective social media that will have prompt Hong Kong and Taiwan had been impartial nations. Twitter customers in Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong defended the couple beneath the hashtag #nnevvy, earlier than ultimately coming collectively beneath the #MilkTeaAlliance banner.
Exercise
The recognition of the hashtag has fluctuated primarily based on political exercise within the alliance’s areas. In Thailand, pro-democracy demonstrators chanted have shouted “Free Hong Kong” at their very own anti-government protests. Activists in Taipei have gathered to point out help for the 2020-2021 Thai protesters. The hashtag trended in June 2020 amid calls to boycott Disney’s “Mulan” over the lead actor’s pro-Hong Kong police stance and the corporate’s resolution to movie giant elements of the film in Xinjiang.
In February 2021, the hashtag noticed a resurgence on Twitter in response to the Myanmar coup. Solidarity protestors took to the streets in Taipei, Bangkok, Melbourne, and Hong Kong in help of Burmese demonstrators protesting the coup. Netizens celebrated in April 2021 when Twitter created a dedicated emoji for the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag.
