Protesters in Myanmar are using the three-finger salute from 'The Hunger Games' to oppose the military coup
Protesters opposing the Myanmar coup are using the three-finger salute from "The Hunger Games."
The military seized control on February 1 and cut access to the internet amid mass protests.
The salute symbolizes solidarity and justice and has also been used in Hong Kong and Thailand.
Protesters across Myanmar opposing the military junta that recently seized control of the country have adopted the three-finger salute from "The Hunger Games."
Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing declared a state of emergency early on February 1 and detained hundreds of elected politicians in a mater of hours.
After a week of sporadic opposition, tens of thousands of protesters amassed in Yangon and other cities from Saturday. Photos from the demonstrations show the three-finger salute everywhere.
In "The Hunger Games," the salute is a silent symbol of opposition to inequality and tyrannical rule.
In Myanmar, protesters are calling on the military to release national leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, who were both detained on February 1.
They were later charged with the crimes of possessing smuggled walkie-talkies and breaching COVID-19 restrictions, which are punishable with long prison terms.
Amnesty International denounced the accusations as trumped-up charges.
In an attempt to dent the impact of the protests, Myanmar's military cut access to Facebook on Thursday, and then cut access to the wider internet for millions on Saturday.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications ordered Telenor Myanmar to shut down its services to stop the "circulation of fake news" and ensure the "stability of the nation" on Saturday, the company said.
As Insider's Julie Gerstein previously reported, the state-run MRTV channel on Monday chose to show a recording of a pop concert while protests were raging in Yangon.
The three-finger sign was first used in Myanmar during a walk-out by medical professionals from 70 hospitals on February 3, part of a nationwide civil disobedience campaign.
Soon after, 300 people working at a COVID-19 quarantine center in Bago also quit.
Protesters in Myanmar have also attached red ribbons - an age-old symbol of solidarity - to their lapels and carried red flower cuttings, The Times of London reported.
Those supporting the protesters' cause abroad have also co-opted the salute, like those gathered outside the Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.
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The three-finger salute has a history of being adopted by other protest movements.
It was used by pro-democracy protesters in Thailand in 2014 and 2020, and also during the 2014 Yellow Umbrella pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong.
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