Peaceful Expression in Bangkok

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The Royal Thai Army military junta, holding absolute rule since the recent coup d'etat, has prohibited public protests against their seizure of power.  Their clampdown is reasonably effective, in that they are nipping any flash mob protests in the bud.  (I guess they are adapting to modern social media immediacy and launching rapid response teams to potential protest sites.)  Sundays seem to be the biggest day for protests, so they are active today.  A couple of city parks have been closed by troops because of rumors of protest activity.
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Protester tactics have been evolving quickly.  One silent protest gesture from several days ago is the "three-fingered salute" from The Hunger Games movies, in defiance of the martial law regime.  Damn, it's also the traditional Boy Scout salute, so be careful who you greet in the city!  They have been arresting anyone who gives the three-fingered salute.  Really!  Arresting them. No lie.
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Getting around this cause of arrest, flash mob participants have been gathering in public places with the military only finding them "eating sandwiches and reading books" (no three-fingered salutes).  That's got to be frustrating for a "Fed" to find only peaceful folk doing peaceful things.  Can't bust them for that.  Maybe, if they are diligent, they can bust them for littering their sandwich bags.
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There is a lot of irony and subtle humor in these actions, but this signals what everyone knows:  that martial law must someday give way to civilian law.  The sooner the better.
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So far, few have been killed or maimed in these protests, making it much safer to be about than before, but this state of affairs will get old soon.  These days ahead will be a test of Thai character and reasonableness.  "May you live in interesting times!"
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-Zenwind.
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