The Revolution Will Be Steeped

Insight Myanmar

Episode #282: Brian Hioe has been a life-long activist. He participated in Occupy Wall Street, Japan’s anti-nuclear protests, and the Sunflower Movement, which protested Taiwan’s growing economic ties with China. His experience during these movements culminated in founding New Bloom Magazine, which aimed to provide a bilingual platform focused on Taiwan’s social and political issues from the perspective of Taiwan’s youth.

Brian discusses the historic and geopolitical ties between Taiwan and Myanmar, dating back to the Chinese Civil War, when many Kuomintang (KMT) fighters retreated to northern Burma before some eventually relocated to Taiwan. He grew up in the vibrant “Little Burma” neighborhood in Taiwan, which became a focal point for Myanmar-related activism following the coup.

Brian elaborates on his involvement with the Milk Tea Alliance (MTA), highlighting its evolution from online activism involving Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand to a broader, transnational movement. Myanmar’s inclusion reflects its shared struggle against authoritarianism, although its conditions—being in a state of prolonged conflict with limited internet access—make it a unique member.

He emphasizes that the decentralized nature of the MTA is a strategic adaptation to authoritarian states that target centralized leaders. Brian concludes by underlining the importance of maintaining solidarity networks despite challenges like reduced online traction, advocating for sustained efforts to amplify Myanmar voices amid ongoing repression.

“Myanmar joining the Milk Tea Alliance reflects the permeability of this framework, that basically, when there's a struggle, you can also be part of the Milk Tea Alliance. It's not exclusionary, but it is the one in which there was not just peaceful protests or student movements in forms of civil disobedience, but one that's spilled over into a civil war, and I think that is the difference. So the protest tactics that work in the other places, for example, will not work in Myanmar, because it is more oppressive.”