Questions on the #MilkTeaAlliance.
A twitter interview.
A while ago @AllianceMilkTea asked me a few questions on Twitter. Something caused me to go back and re-read my answers. Not much has changed from how I answered then but I thought I would clean it up a bit and add some additional thoughts (In italics).
Q: What drew you to #MilkTeaAlliance? Was it the memes, the sudden solidarity, the shitposts, the potential etc.?
Me: A combination of all of them, the memes, art and shit posting certainly caught my attention but seeing the actual work. This 1st manifested in the tactics sharing, then Thai groups staged protests for Hong Kong made me think that there was way more to it that just online. The other things that drew me were:
It was something that centred the struggles away from the China vs USA competition was important. While the CCP is a major problem, the US also also is quite problematic.
I really believe that links between movements can greatly help, through tactics sharing, amplification, fundraising, moral support, campaigning for each other and the #milkteaalliance is definitely a way of kicking off & enabling this kind of cooperation between groups/ movement.
I now also think that it has the potential to fill in gaps in expertise as it draws in more groups. Can we do more to harness the experience and networks to support, up skill new groups and activists? Get groups/individuals with experience of navigating the policy/lobbying space teach newer groups how to do so? Can we link up groups with little digital campaigning expertise with ones who do? How do we do this? Does there need to be a platform to enable this? More questions that answers if I am honest.
Q: You mentioned that you have seen “actual work” done under the hashtag. Besides the origin of #MilkTeaAlliance with #nevvy saga, what are other significant moments under the umbrella of this hashtag according to you?
A: There are many things that have been incredible / amazing to me. As to significance… that is probably up to history to decide. However, highlights for me:
The HK protest manual being translated into Burmese. That was impressive work. So many people got involved in that work. (Not sure if it counts but the riot medic field guide also got translated into Spanish for the Colombian protestors, that was cool too) https://twitter.com/InvisiblesMuros/status/1390761610726318080?s=20
Seeing movements & diaspora come together in RL to support each other. Every time I see this it lifts my heart. To see Hong Kongers at the May 2nd #Globalspringrevolutionday for Myanmar really made it real to me. There are many other examples of this but it’s the one I saw
But it’s happened all across the world, Melbourne, DC, NY, Japan, San Francisco, Vancouver. To the extent it’s getting really common to see flags from all parts of the #MilkTeaAlliance at rallies for specific causes/issues. That solidarity is mind blowing.
When @jetsaryth sang “glory to Hong Kong” with others holding up signs supporting Tibet, Uyghur & HK as part of the #AntiOneChinaTH protests… is another example. Hope he’s doing well.
https://twitter.com/AntiOneChinaTH/status/1311633050980110336?s=20
When the police moved in to crush protests in Colombia #ParoNacional28a and Myanmar & #milkteaalliance twitter just started speaking out for the protestors & sending messages of support brought me to tears. To be in the midst of it & yet be able to express support was inspiring.
(More information on that can be found in another article: https://xunling.medium.com/the-milkteaalliance-why-does-it-matter-8bed98c4098e )
Lastly one this cause I could go on, most recently seeing lots of groups come together for the #sisters2sisters campaign against sexual violence in Myanmar from South America, SEA, Nigeria & all over is incredible. That alliance has huge potential to make change.
(Check out sisters2sisters new video “ode to a sister of the revolution” https://twitter.com/sis2sisMM/status/1420119684972699653?s=20 )
Q: That is true, it is the empathy for the struggles of others despite being in the middle of one for your own homeland is what gets me too. Although it is increasingly difficult to stand in solidarity in #MilkTeaAlliance countries, it is amazing to see it translate to something common in the diaspora. People tend to ask what is next such as if the movement will grow to have concrete goals or develop a general ideology. What do you think it is or if it even really even needs one at all?
A: This is a harder one to an extent I feel it (and the groups/activists that have identified with it) have a lot of commonalities or broadly similar ideals already. Not all for all by any means but I’d (random on internet) say they were:
Anti-authoritarianism, Anti-state violence against the people,
Pro-democracy, Pro-free speech & Pro-human rights.
I would say that Feminism & Equal rights for LGBTQ+ are also very strong themes with many, as is being anti-CCP specifically beyond general anti-authoritarianism.
In terms of concrete goals? These are the goals of the movements/groups within the Alliance in my mind, as a “thing” the alliance is only made up of it’s parts. So their goals are our goals? I don’t think all parts will support all goals but I don’t see that as a particular issue.
Does the MTA need a formalised Ideology or Goals? To have such it would need to be an organisation. I don’t think it can be be one. I think it’s too big, sprawling, chaotic. It’s good to have parts that strongly represent it but none speak for the whole.
And I kinda like it that way. It gives the space for people like myself (unaffiliated to any group) to contribute without having to go through some bureaucratic shit. I expect that people will hold me accountable if I fuck up or spout unacceptable shit.
However I do think that it is good to have strong organised collectives within it such as @MTA_PH or “Democracy against Dictatorship”, as they can bring a lot of strengths to the whole and interact with other groups more as peers when that kind of representation is needed. The other important thing about having organised groups within / identifying with the #milkteaalliance is having proactive people. It’s not enough to make change to just be reactive, the movements and causes within the alliance need to be proactive.
(The proactive/reactive balance is something that has been playing on my mind a lot recently as I struggle to keep up with all the fronts/protests/campaigns going on from various groups in the #MilkTeaAlliance. Not knowing what is planned makes a lot of my highlighting and amplification reactive as opposed to proactive. To an extent this is fine but does mean that maybe I miss important events or campaigns. I want to be able to use my little voice effectively, what does that look like? How can we keep track of EVERYTHING going on? Is that even possible?)
Q: Liking the idea of “their goals are our goals” & recognizing just like in any social movement there is fluidity & no set in stone viewpoint that represents everyone even within movements in HK, Thailand, Myanmar etc. but there are core common goals that make up the #MilkTeaAlliance identity. Speaking of which, could you share your favourite #MilkTeaAlliance graphic that you feel best captures its spirit?
This makes the last question seem easy haha… There are so many from the cute to the serious that captures it so well… I’ve got a flash drive basically full of it… Gonna cheat and post a few. this one by @PhilosophyNook I really like, a spin on the Pyit-Tine-Htaung doll from Myanmar.
Then there is this one from @mta_PH which I love cause they are super inclusive of the countries that have movements that get mentioned less often but whom provide so much support and have their own struggles.
Then there is this composite piece containing pieces from harcourtromanticist (IG), @pssyppl (Twitter), WandererLink (www.deviantart.com) & Art for Freedom Myanmar.
Anyway that was the Q & A. I hope it was worth revisiting, Partially posting it here to archive it. Original thread can be found here:
I’m @XunlingAu on twitter. To my friends and allies on the front-lines, stay safe.
