By Huiyu Yin
“The Hunger Games” movie is apparently more popular in
Thailand than most of us thought. Protesters there used the same three-finger
salute as a symbol of resistance to express a disagreement with the Thai military
government. However, this simple gesture could lead to a possible two-year
prison term. On November 19, 2014, in northeastern Khon Kaen province, the
government arrested five university students for giving the three-fingered
salute during a speech by Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the coup leader and now
the prime minister of Thailand. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Six months after the coup, criticism is
systematically prosecuted, political activity is banned, media is censored, and
dissidents are tried in military courts,” said by Brad Adams, the Asia director
at Human Rights Watch. Prayuth announced on November 17 that
criticizing or obstructing him, the government, or the NCPO was unacceptable.
He also undermined his claims about a road map to return to civilian democratic
rule through free and credible elections, saying on November 21: “Don’t ask me
to give you democracy and elections. This is not the right time.” Prayuth then
added that the enforcement of martial law would continue “as long as
necessary.”
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