A three-finger salute that originated in the Hunger Games film series was adopted by activists from Thailand to Myanmar, which became a symbol of resistance and solidarity for democracy movements in Southeast Asia.
The gesture, along with popular online memes re-used as protest signs, is part of a series of symbols adopted by the global popular culture by a new generation of young activists raised on the internet to make their fight resonate with the public abroad.
The three-fingered gesture was used by medical workers for the first time in Myanmar last week, after which youth protesters began raising it against the military coup. On Monday, one week after the takeover, the salute could be seen during large demonstrations in the streets of Yangon.
On February 1, Myanmar’s army seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. She and other senior party figures were detained in a morning attack. In response, tens of thousands marched in the streets of Yangon and other cities as part of a growing campaign of civil disobedience. The military has blocked social media platforms in an attempt to dispel the disagreement. The United Nations Security Council has requested the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained ministers.
In the Hunger Games, the three fingers represented solidarity in a dystopian world where rebels fought for freedom against an almighty tyrant.
The gesture first surfaced in Thailand a few days after a military coup in May 2014 that sparked anger among voters across the kingdom. It was later banned.
After the military takeover, a small group of youth protesters gathered in front of a busy shopping mall to show their displeasure. One of the protesters suddenly raised the salute.
‘When this person started, others followed. It therefore automatically became a symbol of anti-coup, ‘said Sirawith Seritiwat, 28, a prominent Thai pro-democracy activist who was present at the time.
Since 2014, the hand gesture has been widely used in protest sites in Thailand.
“We knew that it would be easy to understand concepts of freedom, equality, solidarity,” Seritiwat said. He added that the anti-authoritarian messages conveyed in the Hunger Games films resonated with the youth protesters at the time.
“It was partly because the anti-coup situation at the time felt similar to scenes in the Hunger Games movie, where people stuck three fingers at President Snow,” he said.
In the signs brought by young protesters against the military coup of Myanmar, famous characters such as Pepe the Frog were displayed – adopted in 2016 as a symbol of the US right-wing, and more recently by pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong used – and Doge and Cheems, two dogs usually appear noisy to hit each other with a bat.
Do Thu Nway
(@nikitakaulitz)Civil disobedience movement in Myanmar. Mother of the day “Do not be naughty” # Civil disobedience movement #pepe #memesdaily #WatIsHappeningInMyanmar pic.twitter.com/Fs3IFostks
The memes, often accompanied by an English-language message and adapted to include the faces of leading leaders of the Myanmar junta, reflect the openness to the world of a new generation of young Burmese activists in a country largely isolated during the decades in which it was ruled. by the army alone until 2010.
Aung Moe Win
(@AungMoeWin)Some of the hilarious memes of the anti-coup rallies. #WatIsHappeningInMyanmar #HearTheVoiceOfMyanmar #Myanmar pic.twitter.com/8EH2YtzrJu
Since then, Internet consumption has expanded from virtually nothing to more than a third of the country, with an estimated 80% smartphone penetration.
The popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook – and the insufficient moderation by the technology company – are cited as a factor in the incitement of hatred and xenophobia that accompanied the rise of extreme violence against the Rohingya people in the country. in 2016-7.
Fearing that it could also be used against them, the military drastically curtailed internet access last week, but after about a day conceded with service restored across the country.