Issue and Opponent: Myanmar dissidents targeted Myanmar’s Military Junta. The three-finger salute was inspired by the Thai resistance movement in 2014.
Dilemma Action: The protesters demonstrated a three-finger salute when protesting on the streets of Myanmar. In the Hunger Games, the three fingers represented solidarity among dissidents against tyrant rulers. Because of its popular cultural reference among the youth, the three-finger salute has become a hot symbol of protest among the young protesters.
Outcome: The action gained popularity and a large number of dissidents started using it in their protests in Yangon. By leveraging an internationally recognizable symbol, protesters demonstrated that despite the government ban on journalists and protesters, they could get enough international attention. The three-finger salute was used during other protest movements and began with the Thai movement. Using pop culture references was a way to connect the overall struggle with the public, activists used pop culture icons like George Orwell’s novel 1984 but it was the Hunger Games sign that connected with the public. The first example of the salute used in Myanmar was when medical staff in Yangon wore protective gowns and face masks and raised the salute as a sign of support for Aung San Suu Ski.