Panties for Peace

Apparently I am not as up on current events as I should be. *hangs head in shame* Today I read about a movement I think we should all participate in THIS INSTANT, if not sooner. To protest the cruel treatment of women and support Myanmar women, whom since the uprising against the government Aug 8, 1988 (known as 8888), have suffered especially inhumane treatment at the hands of the military junta. "They bring women to barracks, rape and brutalise them and then dump them back in their villages. The world should enforce sanctions on them and try them for human rights violations,” Mika Levesque of the Rights & Democracy Student Network said.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the 8888 uprising in Myanmar, human rights and feminist groups are sending panties to Burmese government officials, who still subscribe to the superstitious belief that touching a woman's underpants takes away power. To participate in this non-violent protest, women worldwide are encouraged to take a pair of their panties, glue a picture of the military rulers on it or write a message for the junta on them, and send them to the nearest embassy. This movement will go on until August 8, 2008. In the United States, it is:

New York

U Linn Myaing, Ambassador Extraordinary & U Aung Linn Htut, CounsellorEmbassy of the Union of Myanmar

2300 S St. N.W. Washington D.C 20008
Tel: +001 202 332-9044 / +001 202 332-9049, 332-9045Fax: +001 202 332-9046

E-Mail: thuriya@aol.com

U Kyaw Tint Swe, Permanent Representative & U Kyi Tun, Deputy Head of MissionPermanent Mission of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations

10 East 77TH St. N. Y 10021
Tel: +001 212 535-1310 / +001 212 535-1311Fax: +001 212 737-2421

E-Mail: myanmar@un.int

"This campaign is a chance for you as a woman to take away the power of the military junta by sending your knickers to Burmese embassies which is a culturally insulting gesture of protest against the brutal crackdown there which received worldwide condemnation for violently suppressing the pro-democracy protest on September 26th & 27th, 2007 resulting in a number of deaths. The junta also ordered the arrests of protest leaders, including Buddhist monks."

-Panties for Peace statement

For more information, visit: http://www.pantiesforpeace.info/send-your-panties/

Awesome panties in photo by deardiary.etsy.com