Issue and opponent: Students targeted the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. They demanded Prayuth’s departure from the government, a new constitution, and an end to the harassment of activists. The Prime Minister had been in power since the 2014 coup.
Dilemma Action: On Sunday, June 1st, 2014, 6000 soldiers and police officers were given orders to prevent protests against the Thai military coup. Even forces clamped down on protesters, small groups broke out and flashed a three-finger salute. Besides the connection to the popular movie, The Hunger Games, there was no universal meaning behind the symbol. A photo montage that was popular online describes labeled the three fingers as 1) No Coup, 2) Liberty, and finally 3) Democracy.
Outcome: The use of the symbol circled the country as many students and adults participated as a sign of resistance. The three-finger salute became the unofficial symbol of opposition to the coup. Military officials called the salute, “an obvious form of resistance” and that “we (the military have to control it, so it doesn’t cause any disorder in the country.” Students wore white ribbons to show their support for the movement without using the symbol. This action of using the salute was also used in Myanmar. Youth protesters started using the three-finger salute in mass protests against the Myanmar military Junta.