Student activist Nachacha Kongudom flashes a three-finger salute shortly before her arrest at Paragon Cineplex in Bangkok (Photo by Abby Seiff)

Three people were arrested in Bangkok Thursday for staging protests to coincide with the opening of the latest Hunger Games movie, which features a three-finger salute that has become a protest symbol against Thailand’s military junta.

The arrests come a day after five students were arrested in Khon Kaen after giving the salute during a speech by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The group was later released following several hours of "attitude adjustment" according to several Thai media reports.

At Bangkok’s Scala Theater, Rattapon Supsopon — a leader of the League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy student group — was arrested in conjunction with a protest set to coincide with Thursday's opening of the film. The opening was abruptly cancelled by theater management on Wednesday.

A second man, going by the nickname “Champ” was arrested shortly after a “sandwich protest” and showing reporters his copy of the George Orwell novel 1984 – two acts of defiance labeled illegal since the Thai military took power in May. Both were bundled into unmarked cars by plainclothes police and later taken to nearby Pathumwan police station. Lawyers were barred from going with them.

The pair were arrested around noon and released before 4pm without charges, according to Prachatai News.

At the nearby Paragon Cineplex theater, Nachacha Kongudom, was arrested after walking around the theater lobby flashing the three-finger salute. “I have the basic right to do this,” said the 21-year-old Bangkok University student. “This movie is important because it reflects basic human rights.” She was later taken to a military base.

Colonel Kittikorn Boonsom of Bangkok Metropolitan Police told AFP that the army wants to hold "talks" with the female student, adding: "She may be taken to the army camp for attitude adjustment."

Earlier, student leaders had begun handing out free tickets at Paragon Cineplex — which quickly halted its planned screening because of “technical problems,” and offered refunds to disappointed theater-goers.

Sukid Reansuwan, a Thammasat University student, said the group had bought about 500 tickets to give to curious students.

“Today I’m distributing my tickets [to protest] against the dictatorship of Thailand,” he said. “I don’t want to be living in a draconian system. I want to tell the man in power that you should return my freedom.”

Sunai Phasuk, senior Thailand researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the recent uptick in martial law arrests was concerning.

“We are now seeing a new surge of attacks on freedom of expression,” he said. “What are the grounds for taking the students away?”