Burma's military junta has published bilingual copies of the country's new constitution - in both Burmese and English.
State-run media say the publication has gone on sale in government bookshops.
The
constitution was passed in a highly criticized May referendum just days
after a cyclone swept across the country killing more than 100,000
people.
Burma's government says the constitution implements
democratic reforms, but critics argue it tightens the military's grip
on power.
The constitution guarantees 25 percent of
parliamentary seats will be held by the military. It also allows the
military to take over government during a state of emergency, and it
bans detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from public office
because she was married to a foreigner.
A military government
has ruled Burma since 1962. The opposition party won the last general
elections in 1990. But military leaders never recognized the results
of that race and instead put Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
