ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | An explosion at dawn on Tuesday rocked a Rangoon office of the government-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), whose members have been accused of attacks against Burma's pro-democracy opposition, witnesses said.

The witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official reprisal, said the blast occurred at the USDA office in the northern Rangoon suburb of Shwepyithar. No casualties were reported.

Residents in Shwepyithar said riot police and security officials swarmed into the area after the explosion.

No further details were immediately available, and there were no immediate claims of responsibility. The government has not blamed any group for the bombing.

The USDA, a social welfare organization formed 15 years ago, claims to have more than 23 million members out of a national population of 57 million. Its members often have been accused of involvement in attacks against supporters of the pro-democracy opposition.

The organization, headed by junta chairman Snr-Gen Than Shwe, is to be transformed into a political party when general elections are held in 2010. Currently, the USDA is engaged in a wide range of social activities, from organizing health care in rural areas to planting trees.

The last explosion in Rangoon, the country's largest city, occurred in April when two bombs damaged some parked cars but caused no casualties.

The government often blames such attacks on anti-government dissident groups and ethnic rebels seeking autonomy.

Terrorism is rare but not unknown in Burma, which has been under military rule since 1962.