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- Protesters opposing the Myanmar coup are using the “Hunger Games” three-finger salute.
- The military took control on February 1 and cut off internet access amid mass protests.
- The salute symbolizes solidarity and justice and has also been used in Hong Kong and Thailand.
- Visit the Insider Business section for more stories.
Protesters across Myanmar who oppose the military junta that recently took control of the country have adopted the three-finger salute of “The Hunger Games.”
Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing declared a state of emergency early on February 1 and detained hundreds of elected politicians in a matter of hours.
After a week of sporadic opposition, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Yangon and other cities since Saturday. Photos from the demos show the three-finger salute throughout.
In “The Hunger Games,” the salute is a silent symbol of opposition to inequality and tyrannical rule.
Protesters seen in Myitkyina in Myanmar’s Kachin state on February 8, 2021.
STR / AFP via Getty Images
In Myanmar, protesters are calling on the army to release national leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, who were arrested on February 1.
They were later charged with the crimes of possession of contraband walkie-talkies and violation of COVID-19 restrictions, which are punishable by long prison sentences.
Amnesty International denounced the accusations as false allegations.
In an attempt to reduce the impact of the protests, the Myanmar military cut off access to Facebook on Thursday and then cut off internet access to 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, state-run MRTV decided to show a recording of a pop concert on Monday as protests raged in Yangon.
The three-finger sign was first used in Myanmar during a march by medical professionals from 70 hospitals on February 3, as part of a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience.
A group of Myanmar activists hold up Aung San Suu Kyi’s portrait in front of the United Nations University in Tokyo on February 1, 2021.
PHILIP FONG / AFP via Getty Images
Soon after, 300 people who worked at a COVID-19 quarantine center in Bago also resigned.
Protesters in Myanmar have also attached red ribbons, an ancient symbol of solidarity, to their lapels and are carrying red flower cuttings, The Times of London reported.
Those who support the cause of protesters abroad have also opted for the salute, such as those who gathered in front of the Myanmar 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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