A Tea-fueled Resistance
Marc Batac is a long-time activist who has built his reputation around grassroots organizing and transnational solidarity across Southeast Asia, and recently appeared on our podcast feed. With a background in political theory and philosophy, he’s developed a sharp analytical framework for understanding and challenging authoritarian regimes. Marc has played an integral role in movements addressing state violence, human rights abuses, and geopolitical tensions, particularly through his involvement with the Milk Tea Alliance, a decentralized coalition of activists spanning several countries. Known for his ability to navigate both digital and offline spaces, Marc has cultivated relationships with activists, artists, and scholars across the region, uniting them in their shared struggle against repression. His personal approach to activism is rooted in genuine connections, where solidarity is not just a strategy but a deep, lived experience. Marc’s engagement in Burma began when Burmese activists, who had known him through his work in regional movements, reached out after the February 2021 coup. In response, Marc helped organize the Milk Tea Alliance Friends of Myanmar, a group dedicated to supporting Burmese resistance efforts through both digital advocacy and concrete mutual aid. Marc and his peers offered more than just online mobilization; they provided immediate assistance to Burmese people escaping violence, such as arranging safe housing and sending SIM cards across the border. For Marc, Burma became not only a cause but a personal mission, built on the relationships and trust he had developed with Burmese activists, who he came to see as siblings in the broader regional struggle against authoritarianism. Through years of consistent support, Marc has helped turn the Milk Tea Alliance into a lasting platform for cross-border solidarity with Burma at its heart.
“It’s a question of how do we now restrict the ability of the military to wage this kind of its military war? And quite key to that is aviation fuel. If they cannot fly, then they could not bomb us, as our Myanmar friends would say.”
“Initiatives for International Dialogue is anchoring the Burma Solidarity Philippines network. It's a group of Philippine-based organizations that have, either in the past or in recent years, wanted to work on solidarity for Myanmar, and also exploring how we could engage our own government, the Philippines, to take better position in support for Myanmar and the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Just recently last week, they were doing the Paper Plates Campaign in support of the call of Blood Money Campaign and Myanmar friends for solidarity in calling for sanctions against aviation fuel. Because right now, with the current tactics of the junta, now that they are losing in the ground wars, they are shifting to aerial bombings in their tactics. It's a question of how do we now restrict the ability of the military to wage this kind of its military war? And quite key to that is aviation fuel. If they cannot fly, then they could not bomb us, as our Myanmar friends would say.
In the past, we've done those mobilizations during key events to continue into keeping the awareness, not only in here in the Philippines, but also regionally, so that it could constantly be covered. That is not simply an issue of Myanmar, but it is an issue of Southeast Asia. We call some mobilizations, as well, calling for ASEAN to shift away from its Five Point Consensus, because that is a massive failure. But at the same time, it speaks of duality, I think, or of a symmetry, on how the ASEAN would intervene. They would allow discussions with or precedence of the military junta within some spaces, but would not really engage with the National Unity Government and other actors.
We've just had some Filipino filmmakers, who also did, last month, a film-showing of documentaries from the Civil Disobedience Movement made during the revolution, and then screened that in the university. The was massive showing in the University of the Philippines. There were two films, or at least series of films, that were in there. That was important to keep the attention and awareness and deepen that awareness among Filipino and Filipino youth and students.
Those are just a few out of the stuff that's happening here. But some peers, as well, in the Milk Tea Alliance have also been doing their own campaigns, sometimes back-to-back or alongside parallel. For example, there were protests in Thailand where they would use the milk tea in front of the Myanmar Embassy. They would use the free milk tea for people to stop and have a discussion on what's happening in Myanmar. There are other art events as well, during the anniversary, or commemoration, in February in Chiang Mai.
There are also quite a number of mobilizations and sit-ins in Taiwan. So far, I think it's in Taiwan and Thailand, and to some extent, the Philippines, that that we remain most active. It's quite difficult to do a lot in Hong Kong, given the situation there. Given that the resources that are required and attention, we try to make do with what we have and become strategic on just keeping the attention and deepening the awareness within our respective countries. Those are some of the things, the public events that we we've been doing.”