PM targets 3-finger salute again
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said today he has instructed the Education Ministry to monitor the three-finger salute that has become a symbol of anti-government protest at schools and universities across the country.
Photos of students expressing their opposition to the military-backed government by raising three fingers are once again trending in social media channels. The salute is inspired by the blockbuster Hollywood franchise the Hunger Games and first emerged in 2014 as a protest against the junta.
Prayut said he understood the “pure intentions” of students but added that some students were feeling pressured into flashing the sign by their peers.
On Monday (August 17), the Extraordinary Commission under the House of Representatives announced that it will discuss how to allow students to talk safely on political matters in government-run schools and universities.
Commission spokesperson Korawee Prissananantakul said representatives from the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation will be summoned to discuss the matter.
Several student leaders have been arrested and charged with sedition after speaking at campus rallies around the country. More recently, students have raised the topic of the monarchy during protests, sparking tension and warnings from the authorities and ultra-royalist groups.
