Thethree-finger salute is a hand gesture made by raising the index, middle and ring fingers, while holding the thumb to the little finger, and raising the hand with the palm facing out in asalute. The gesture was popularized in the 2010s after its use inThe Hunger Games as a symbol of revolution. The gesture has been adopted by protesters, particularly for pro-democracy protest movements inSoutheast Asia, mainly inThailand andMyanmar, as well as in other countries, includingHong Kong.
The gesture was popularized in the 2010s byThe Hunger Games, a series of fiction books and films bySuzanne Collins. It bears resemblance to earlier salutes such as theScout sign and salute and the Ukrainian salute mimicking theTryzub symbol, however, it is unclear if these have inspired Collins' version.[1][2]
InThe Hunger Games, the gesture is made by pressing the three middle fingers of the left hand to the lips and then raising it to the air. It initially appears in the firstbook andfilm of the series, when the people ofDistrict 12 saluteKatniss Everdeen after she volunteers to participate in theHunger Games in place of her sister. Later, in the second part of the series (Catching Fire), an old man in the crowd salutes Katniss this way during a tour by the victors, and the gesture becomes a symbol of the revolution along with themockingjay song whistled by Katniss in her first games.[2]
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The salute first became a real-worldpro-democracy symbol in the aftermath of the2014 Thai coup d'état.[3] Due to its use, the military announced that it would arrest anyone who displayed the salute and that the symbol was made illegal in Thailand.[4] Protesters have since added symbolism to the gesture, stating that the three fingers stand for theFrench Revolutionary ideal ofliberty, equality, fraternity.[5] The gesture was revived by protesters in the2020–2021 Thai protests.[6]
In response to the2021 Myanmar coup d'état, a group of about 200 Burmese expatriates and some Thai pro-democracy activists includingParit Chiwarak andPanusaya Sithijirawattanakul protested the coup at the Burmese embassy onSathon Nuea Road inBangkok with some protesters reportedly showing the three-finger salute.[7] The protest ended with a police crackdown; two protestors were injured and hospitalised, and two others were arrested.[8]
The trend was sparked by students[9] but has since been adopted by supporters of progressive parties, such as theMove Forward (formerly Future Forward) Party.[10]
The salute was used for a time during theUmbrella Movement in 2014[11] before being revived in the2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, inspired by its renewed usage in Thailand,[12] and continues to be used to symbolize resistance against the Chinese government.[13]
The salute became a symbol of opposition to the2021 Myanmar coup d'état and subsequent civil war.[14] The movement was launched on social media, and many celebrities from Myanmar such asPaing Takhon andDave Leduc have joined the movement.[15][16]
Mu Sochua, former vice president of theCambodia National Rescue Party, called on the opposition party's supporters to adopt the symbol as a sign of solidarity with Myanmar and as a protest against the current government ofHun Sen and the rulingCambodian People's Party.[17] A representative of the CPP condemned these actions, saying that they were undermining the country.[18]
In preparation for the2024 presidential election, theIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) supported presidential candidate,Ganjar Pranowo, adopted the all black attire and three-finger salute ashis campaign motif and hand gesture.[19] On 20 February 2023, a video widely shared on his Twitter account, Ganjar was seen raising his hands in the three-finger salute amidst a crowd of supporters, dressed in all black— reminiscent to pro-democracy protesters seen in Thailand and Hong Kong.[19][20] The captions In the video reads, "This is not about Ganjar. It's not about power. This is about Indonesia." further stating in the post that the salute signify "Three fingers three promises: Obey God, abide by the law, and be loyal to the people."[21] The change was seen as a significant departure from the PDI-P'sSign of the horns salute, commonly associated to PresidentJoko Widodo's administration.[22][23]
The thaw in relations between Widodo and his political party is seen as the primary reason for this change, following a controversial constitutional court ruling that allows the nomination of President Jokowi's eldest son,Gibran Rakabuming Raka, asPrabowo Subianto's running mate and given that Gibran's uncle and the Chief Justice of theConstitutional Court,Anwar Usman was also involved in the ruling.[24] Observers view the abrupt choice of the three-finger salute as an act of resistance against perceived unfair democratic processes and abuse of the law.[25][26] After Ganjar's hand symbol reveal, theMinistry of Home Affairs reminded all civil servants in the Indonesian government to refrain from using any hand symbolism or poses related to presidential candidates,[27][28] with the consequence of getting fired upon those who do not comply or got caught, even when the gesture was accidental. The ministry stated that the directive aims to ensure neutrality throughout the two-year process of the2024 general election.[29][30]
A derivative of the symbol emerged during the election period, where anti-Prabowo elements created a new symbol known as the "Four-finger salute." This gesture combined elements from the three-finger salute, associated with Ganjar's campaign, and adding theindex finger symbol, linked toAnies Baswedan'scampaign. The fusion of these two symbols was used to represent the united opposition and ideology of both sides against Prabowo's candidacy and Jokowi's perceived political involvement in the election.[31][32] TheGeneral Election Supervisory Agency later deemed the symbol to be a sign under thefreedom of expression rather than an election symbol, thus not breaching any rules within the election.[33] The Four-finger salute went viral across social media, and thus created a movement known as the 'Four-finger salute movement' (Indonesian: Gerakan Salam 4 Jari), with the context of using the four finger salute as a symbol of pro-democracy in Indonesia being comparable in usage to the three-finger salute in Myanmar, Thailand, and Hong Kong.[33] Supporters of the Four-finger salute movement rejects the formation of apolitical family and the perceived degradation of democracy in Indonesia. The main goal of the movement rallies for the creation of a second round in the presidential election and to lower Prabowo'selectibility.[34][35]
Before its adoption as a pro-democracy symbol, Philippine senatorMiriam Defensor Santiago used it in a 2013 privilege speech in response to then-Senate presidentJuan Ponce Enrile, criticizing his personal and political conduct dating back toFerdinand Marcos's regime, in response to his allegations about hermental health.[36] In this context, she deviated from her prepared remarks after declaring, "His mind is sick, sick, sick...[You are] three times sick!" using the language ofKatniss Everdeen inThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire.[37][38]
In 2017, a group of critics of PresidentRodrigo Duterte also used the salute to express dissent towardshis administration and the killings related to thecountry's war on drugs.[39]
Thenonprofit organizationHarry Potter Alliance used the three-finger salute to criticizeeconomic andwage inequality in American companies such asWalmart andMcDonald's.[40] The move was supported by theAFL-CIO, who responded by posting pictures ofunion leaders posing with the symbol.[41]
TheHunger Games salute bears resemblance to the earlierScout sign, used since 1908 to represent the three parts of theScout Promise. Though Collins does not cite it as an inspiration, researcher An Xiao Mina has noted the resemblance's significance in driving the gesture's recognition.[42]
The salute is also somewhat similar to a three-fingered hand salute from Ukraine, though the latter is done with fingers spread out rather than close together. It symbolizes theTryzub,[43] as for example inpro-independence demonstrations in the late 1980s[44] and in the logo of the Ukrainian nationalistSvoboda party.[45]