We hear that protesters at the Burmese embassy were throwing women’s underwear into the yard — scaring the living daylights out of government staff. Talk about non-violent protest… Apparently superstitious Burmese believe that touching women’s underwear will make them lose power. Well they definitely are superstitious and maybe they will.

But all of Asia seems a tad superstitious–there is surely more supersition than medical science behind the idea that electric fans can be criminally responsible for obese drunk guys having heart attacks? So to follow on the recent lists of Japanese and Korean scary movies, here is a sampling from the rest of Asia.

As before, it’s hard to correctly choose just five. I wish The Bride with White Hair (1993, Hong Kong) could be regarded as a ghost story, but guess not. We would never include Windstruck (2004, Korea) as a ghost story, even though it definitely is. Anyway, of the following TXT looks far better than the relatively poor quality trailer suggests and The Maid is definitely a must-see.

A Chinese Ghost Story (1987, Hong Kong) This popular and beloved film is a standout in the Hong Kong supernatural-action genre and spawned many sequels and copycats. A timid and likable tax collector looking for a place to stay the night comes upon a spooky abandoned temple occupied by a tough Taoist swordsman (Ma Wu). Despite his warnings, he stays anyway. Later he encounters a beautiful maiden who he quickly falls in love with. Unfortunately, she is a ghost who is being forced to trap men for an evil spirit who feeds on their souls. Widely praised for infusing the genre with humor, action, romance, and inventive special effects. Cheung and Wang are a likeable romantic pair, and Ma Wu creates a hilarious character who breaks out into song and a martial arts dance when drunk. It’s a must-see for Hong Kong action film fans. [amazon.com]

Ang Pamana: The Inheritance (2006, Philippines / Canada) Johnny and his sister Anna must go back to the Philippines from Canada to represent their parents in the reading of their Lola Nena’s last will and testament. Johnny meets his cousin Vanessa who also has a taste for drugs and trouble. Their first surprise is Tommy, a mentally handicapped boy who is also named in the inheritance. As they explore the property they’ve inherited, strange things occur to make them wonder what secret their grandmother took to her grave. [ClickTheCity] Trailer here.

The Eye (2003, Hong Kong / Singapore) At the age of two, Wong Kar Mann lost her vision. Since that time she has lived with that handicap but now, reaching the age of 20, she has the possibility to regain her vision with a risky corneal transplant operation. After the successfully operation, Mann’s vision is starting to get better and little by little she can almost see perfectly. After getting used to her new situation, Mann has started to notice some really strange effects. It seems that she cans see people that no one else can notice. Are they really ghosts? And who are those strange shadows that sometime come around the living people. With the help of her new psychiatric guide, she will try to solve that problem, which will lead her to a small village in Thailand were the original corneal owner lived before she died. Will Mann be able to find out what happened to the previous dead owner and finally get rid of her curse and live a normal life again? [KFCC] Trailer here.

The Maid (2005, Malaysia) “Every year, for thirty days during the lunar seventh month, the Chinese believe that the gates of hell are thrown open. Vengeful spirits or hungry ghosts wander among the living, seeking revenge and justice before the gates of hell are closed again for another year.” The eighteen years old Rosa Dimaano arrives in Singapore from Philippines to give support to her family working as a maid in the house of the artists of a Chinese opera troupe Mr. and Mrs. Teo on the first day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. She is welcomed by the family and introduced to their friends and their retarded son Ah-Soon. Later, Mrs. Teo advises her about their beliefs and how the dead should be respected and honored along the seventh month. However, Rosa sweeps their offer on the sidewalk breaking a basic rule and offending the spirits, and she is haunted by ghosts everywhere. When Ah-Soon calls her Esther Santos and she finds some belongings of the unknown Esther in the house, she discloses a dark and scary secret about the past of her masters. [amazon.com] Trailer here.

TXT (2006, Philippines) A provocative thriller that will surely raise the fear in you. Proving that no one, not even DEATH can separate us from the living. A story that conquers the old adage “till death do us part”, Roman (Oyo Boy Sotto) dies in a car accident. In a restless and unforgiving state he continues to prove his affection for girlfriend Joyce (Angel Locsin) . He then decides to embark in an intrepid and malevolent journey in order to keep Joyce. Joyce then began receiving hair raising text messages and even gets “death photos” of people close to her, including that of her current beau Alex (Dennis Trillo). She ignores these at first, but when the deaths happen under the exact circumstances at which they were predicted, she realizes she must fight the evil behind all these to protect her loved ones from this supernatural force. [IMDB] Trailer here.