The Power of Panties and Poems in Burma

I nominate Saw Wai as Burma's national poet. He wrote an eight-line "love poem" in a popular Burmese magazine that spells out, if read vertically, "Power crazy senior general Than Shwe." Shwe being the current junta leader--Wai of course was promptly arrested. Excerpts from the poem, entitled "February 14" include: "You have to be in love truly, madly, deeply and then you can call it real love." It ends with, "Millions of people who know how to love please clap your hands of gilded gold and laugh out loud." I love the tactic of crying out for people to love bravely, while, even braver yet, calling a tyrant out on his shit.

I also read about a women's rights group called "Panties for Peace" that has been sending and/or throwing their undies to Burmese Embassies all over the world since October because, apparently, Burmese leaders are afraid of ladies' underpants. They believe that undies will strip them of their power.

I have to admit, I see where these Burmese dudes are coming from. I mean, panties have been used to exert power for quite a while. Ever since ladies' underpants made the transition from dowdy bloomers to garments small and mobile enough to be thrown, women have been using them as weapons of mass distraction. Look at the king here, he just doesn't know what to do with himself after a lady in the audience threw her panties at him on stage. And how many infidelities have been exposed as a result of the misplaced (or purposefully placed) undergarment?

If you'd like to send your panties to Burmese leaders and take away their power too, find an embassy and send them a special gift. Here's the address to the Burmese Embassy in DC:

EMBASSY OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR
2300, S STREET, N.W, WASHINGTON D.C.20008