YANGON - MILITARY-RULED Myanmar has begun selling bilingual copies of its new constitution following its endorsement in a May referendum, state media reported Saturday.

The 194-page book was available before the poll in the local Myanmar language but has now been translated into English for sale in government bookshops, according to the New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

'(The) Ministry of Information is selling the copies of the State Constitution... There are 15 chapters in the book and each chapter is stated in Myanmar and English,' the paper said.

Diplomats in the main city Yangon said they had already purchased copies of the new book, being sold for 2000 kyats (S$3.00).

Myanmar's new constitution was confirmed after a widely criticised referendum held days after a cyclone laid waste to vast swathes of the country and left 138,000 people dead or missing.

The opposition party complained that copies of the constitution had not been issued in time for people to study it, but the ruling junta said 92.48 per cent of voters had endorsed the charter.

It paves the way for multi-party elections in 2010, but detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party says it will only entrench military rule.

Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. -- AFP