lang: en
Summary
In 2007, Burmese women launched the Panties for Peace campaign, sending their underwear to military leaders to exploit superstitious fears and protest human rights abuses. The campaign gained international support and was part of a larger movement for democracy and women’s safety. While it did not achieve all its goals, it raised global awareness and contributed to some political changes in Burma.
Background
Burma’s military regime committed systematic sexual, physical, and emotional violence against women, and the country faced severe human rights abuses. The Panties for Peace campaign aimed to stop this violence and bring attention to the plight of Burmese women, exploiting the regime’s superstitious fear that female undergarments would drain their power.
What happened
The Panties for Peace campaign began in October 2007, spearheaded by the Lanna Action for Burma Party (LAB). [source: nv-database] Women in Burma and globally mailed their panties to local Burmese embassies, playing on the military junta’s belief that contact with women’s underwear would curse and weaken them [source: nv-database]. The campaign required no gatherings, allowing women to participate safely from home despite restricted mobility and surveillance [source: nv-database]. Participants also hung portraits of regime leader Than Shwe around the necks of stray dogs and fed dogs cakes bearing his image, acts highly offensive in Burmese culture [source: nv-database]. The campaign gained international allies including Amnesty International, women in Thailand, Australia, Europe, Singapore, Burma Campaign UK, and the U.S. [source: nv-database] Campaign for Burma [source: nv-database]. It is difficult to pinpoint an exact end date, but the campaign was no longer active after 2008, though allied nations like Canada sent panties as recently as 2007 [source: nv-database]. The LAB later became the first party to register for Burma’s 2010 elections, using the slogan ‘Clean Panties: Clean Politics’ [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Lanna Action for Burma Party
- Buddhist Monks
- Min Ko Naing
- Ko Ko Gyi
- Min Zeya
- Ko Jimmy
- Ko Pyone Cho
- Arnt Bwe Kyaw
- Ko Mya Aye
- Amnesty International
- Burma Campaign UK
- U.S. Campaign for Burma
- Zargana
- Kyaw Thu
- Than Shwe
Tactics used
- boycotts-and-strikes
- nonviolent-direct-action
- civil-resistance
- coalition-building
- distributed-organizing
- dilemma-actions
- framing-and-narrative
- escalation
- affinity-groups
- citizen-lobbying
- petitions-and-e-campaigning
- public-narrative
The campaign used symbolic objects and distributed organizing to exploit the regime’s superstitions, allowing widespread participation without physical gatherings. This approach minimized risk for participants while maximizing visibility and pressure through international solidarity. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: partial.
The campaign achieved significant growth and momentum, but violence against women in Burma continues, and the country remains highly corrupt with military influence in government. However, it contributed to some democratic changes and raised global awareness, earning a partial success rating. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Symbolic actions that exploit opponents’ weaknesses can be highly effective and safe for participants.
- Distributed organizing allows broad participation even under repressive conditions.
- International solidarity can amplify a local campaign’s impact without requiring third-party intervention.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py