Panties sought for Myanmar protest

MONTREAL, May 28 (UPI) -- Two Canadian human rights group in Quebec are calling for women to mail panties to Myanmar's embassy to protest the ruling military junta.

The Quebec Women's Federation and the activist group Rights and Democracy claim the secretive military leaders in the country formerly known as Burma are superstitious and believe contact with women's underwear will usurp their power, CTV News reported.

"The campaign was launched by women from Burma," Rights and Democracy spokeswoman Mika Levesque told the broadcaster from Montreal. "They believe this is a very powerful message to the military because they are very superstitious."

Myanmarese activist Thet Thet Tun took it a step further in her instructions on what to mail the embassy in Ottawa.

"I think (underwear) that has already been worn will be most effective to put them to shame," she told CTV News.

Tuesday, the junta announced pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had her house arrest extended after more than 12 years.