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<div>The Thai diaspora and students in France gathered to wave three-fingered salutes as a symbol of defiance against the military regime at the ‘Hunger Games 3’ premiere and at the Institut d'études politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris.
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By John Sifton (Human Rights Watch) |
<div>Life in Thailand is growing more absurd by the day. Earlier this week Gen. Prayuth Chan-Ocha, the leader of the junta that seized power in May and later anointed himself prime minister, was beginning a speech in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen when five local university students stood up and stripped down to t-shirts emblazoned with “Don’t Want a Coup” in Thai.
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<div>The military at 10 am on Thursday released the five student activists from Khon Kaen University with no charge. </div>
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<div>Since Wednesday the military has tried to force the group to sign a document stating that they admit their wrongdoing in protesting against the coup and promising not to hold any further political activities, according to Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, a fifth year law student who is one of the five. </div>
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<div>On Thursday two students complied while three others refused to sign the document. </div>
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<div><em>Update: At around 1:30pm, the police arrested Natchacha Kongudom, a Bangkok University student at Siam Paragon's cinema, after she raised three fingered salute in front of the Hunger Game 3 poster when she received a free ticket from the LLTD.
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<p>Two cinemas in downtown Bangkok were pressured into withdrawing a popular blockbuster, Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay ,from their schedule after the authorities earlier today arrested five anti-coup protesters in the Northeast.</p>
<p>Spokespersons for the cinemas belonging to Apex company at Bangkok's Siam Square shopping district, announced on Wednesday afternoon that the company had decided not to screen Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay Part 1 in any of its cinemas, without clarifying the reasons why the company decided to do this.</p>
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<div>Thai people gathered at the Hunger Games: Mockingjay premiere in London to protest against suppression by the junta after the Thai anti-coup protesters in Bangkok adopted the three-fingered salute from the movie to symbolize resistance.</div>
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<div>Mockingjay is the last movie in the Hunger Games trilogy, based on the novel of the same title by Suzanne Collins.
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