Burma's junta chief urges soldiers to crush opponents

Burma's junta chief has marked the country's Armed Forces Day by urging soldiers to crush anyone attempting to destabilise the tightly controlled country.

Senior General Than Shwe was speaking to 13,000 soldiers today after an annual military parade to mark the holiday, which celebrates the army's strength.

He called on the army "to join hands with the people to crush internal and external destructive elements sabotaging stability and progress of the state".

The junta announced last month it would hold a long-awaited constitutional referendum, followed by a general election in 2010 - the first specific dates for its so-called roadmap to democracy.