Police allegedly pressure Bangkok’s cinemas to remove ‘Hunger Games 3’

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.

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.

Mockingjay is the last in the Hunger Games movie trilogy, based on the novel of the same title by Suzanne Collins. The movie is about a fictional country called Panem, which is ruled by a suppressive dictatorial regime based on a city called the Capitol while other cities are divided into numbered districts to serve without question the rich Capitol. A three-fingered salute is used in the story by rebels as a sign of resistance against the Capitol.

Five students arrested for showing 3-fingered salutes during the head of the junta’s visit to Khon Kaen still show their resistance while being transported to a military camp

According to Rangsiman Rome, one of the members of League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy LLTD, the police called the cinema personnel and requested that the movie be removed. The cancellation will automatically cancel a symbolic political activity, ‘Raising three fingers in the cinema’, organized by the group.

In this activity, LLTD sent out free movie tickets to people who answered the question: In what ways is the Capitol in Mockingjay similar to Bangkok? 

At the movie premiere in London last week, Thai people gathered in front of the cinema to give the three-fingered salute while showing banners reading ‘District Thai’.

In the same way people in Panem raise three fingers to protest against the rule of the Capitol in the popular work of fiction, Thai anti-coup protesters adopted the same gesture to rally against the junta in the month of the coup in May. The act led to a few protesters being jailed for defying the junta in District Thai.

Read related News:

5 anti-coup activists arrested for 3-fingured salute during junta leader's visit to Khon Kaen

Thai protest against junta at 'Hunger Games' Premiere in London

[Infographic] Peaceful and normal actions forbidden under junta regime

Since 2007, Prachatai English has been covering underreported issues in Thailand, especially about democratization and human rights, despite the risk and pressure from the law and the authorities. However, with only 2 full-time reporters and increasing annual operating costs, keeping our work going is a challenge. Your support will ensure we stay a professional media source and be able to expand our team to meet the challenges and deliver timely and in-depth reporting.

• Simple steps to support Prachatai English

1. Bank transfer to account “โครงการหนังสือพิมพ์อินเทอร์เน็ต ประชาไท” or “Prachatai Online Newspaper” 091-0-21689-4, Krungthai Bank

2. Or, Transfer money via Paypal, to e-mail address: [email protected], please leave a comment on the transaction as “For Prachatai English”