“PANTY POWER AGAINST THE JUNTA” Women workers picket Burma embassy in Makati

To commemorate the crackdown on peaceful demonstration of monks happened in Burma a month ago, women workers under the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines today held a protest action called “PANTY POWER”.

Disgusted with the failure of all diplomatic means in dealing with the generals in Burma, women workers now resorted to a kind of protest that for them, will surely insult the generals in Rangoon—throwing panties infront of the Burma embassy.

It will be remembered that on September 26 the military regime crackdown thousands of people engaged in peaceful protest against the government despite calls of the international community for the junta to exercise utmost restraint.

Last October 19, Burma Embassies in the UK, Thailand, Australia and Singapore were targeted by the “Panties for Peace” campaign. Some junta members believe that any contact with female undergarments - clean or dirty - will sap them of their power. Report said that one group already sent 140 pairs to the Burmese embassy in Geneva.

FBC-Phils said that diplomacy failed in Burma and human rights
violations including torture of prisoners, rape and killings of
activists escalated even more after the crackdown last month.

“Sending female underwears to Burma embassy is our way of telling the junta we want democracy in Burma now. Panties also symbolize women liberation in Burma because the junta is also known for being the world’s number 1 women rights abuser,” said Marlene Sindayen, Spokesperson of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL-Women).

Sindayen added, “It’s hard to get information inside Burma now. The junta cuts off all communication lines including the internet. There are still reports of evening arrest of monks and other activists in Burma. This is more alarming.”

Meanwhile, Yuen Abana of the Partido ng Manggagawa stressed, “Until today, the SPDC is conducting raids of houses and monasteries searching and arresting activists. There are already 800 people arrested without warrants. Life is cheap in Burma now and the junta is the one putting the tag price.”

Abana explained, “The ASEAN and the United Nations should not hesitate to do more concrete actions to bring back genuine democracy in Burma. For 10 years, the UN and the ASEAN have been doing numerous efforts to bring Burma into the mainstream but nothing has changed in Burma. What we see now is a kind of government that is unwilling to cooperate. Junta’s concern is simply to maintain its grasp on power.”