Montreal: What bikinis reveal is just suggestive of what they conceal. This dictum has become the catchword for the human rights' outfits fighting for restoration of human rights in Myanmar reeling under military Junta rule.

They know the power of panty for the superstitious Myanmar men and also know that new underwear never worn has no power.

And so the organisers, who launched the Canadian edition of the Panties for Peace! Campaign this week, asked the women to send their undergarments to Myanmar embassy in Ottawa, to shame Myanmar's ruling junta into giving citizens greater access to humanitarian aid and human rights.

Myanmar's embassies in Europe, Australia and Brazil, among other places, have been receiving panties in the mail.

The campaign came about because Burmese have a superstition that if a man touches a woman's underwear he will lose his power and Myanmar's military junta is reportedly very superstitious

Spearheaded by a pro-democracy group based in Thailand, the campaign was launched last year to draw attention to human rights abuses against women in the country, also known as Burma.

At the time, the junta was accused of violently suppressing a pro-democracy uprising by the country's Buddhist monks. The Canadian version of the international campaign, co-ordinate by the Quebec Women's Federation and Rights and Democracy, hopes to also raise funds for victims of Cyclone Nargis.
—iGovernment Bureau