Social media large Twitter on Thursday launched an emoji for the Milk Tea Alliance, a world on-line pro-democracy motion that has united anti-Beijing campaigners in Hong Kong and Taiwan with protesters in Thailand, Myanmar and past.
Activists welcomed the announcement of the emoji – a white cup set towards a background of three colors representing totally different shades of milk tea in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan – for the primary anniversary of the motion.
The Milk Tea Alliance sprang from a Twitter warfare that flared after Chinese language nationalists accused a younger Thai actor and his girlfriend of supporting democracy in Hong Kong and Taiwanese independence.
????In the present day we’re launching an emoji for the #MilkTeaAlliance, a web based solidarity alliance first began in April 2020 as a Twitter meme which has grown into a world pro-democracy motion led by activists and anxious residents in ???????????????????????????????? and all over the world.
— Twitter Public Coverage (@Coverage) April 8, 2021
It’s named after a shared ardour for candy tea drinks within the three locations.
Use of the hashtag peaked once more in February after the army coup in Myanmar, the place protesters utilizing the hashtag rallied regional help.
“We’ve seen greater than 11 million Tweets that includes the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag over the previous yr,” Twitter mentioned in an announcement that pushed the hashtag to among the many high trending in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan on Thursday.
Beforehand, Twitter launched emojis for #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter actions.
The Twitter emoji confirmed world recognition and lent higher credibility to the youth motion, mentioned distinguished Thai activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, one of many alliance’s main voices.
“It is vital because it exhibits the younger folks combating for democracy that the world is with them they usually’re making an affect,” Netiwit informed Reuters. “It is a signal that on-line activism can go a lot additional.”
Twitter is blocked in China and its obvious endorsement of a motion with a powerful present of opposition to Beijing was unlikely to harm its enterprise, mentioned James Buchanan, a lecturer at Bangkok’s Mahidol College Worldwide Faculty.
“Twitter has lots to realize by interesting to younger folks within the Asian markets which might be open to them,” he mentioned.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
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