The Burmese military junta today withdrew its orders on an ethnic Kachin Baptist Church in a corner of the main China-Burma border trade zone in Muse in the country's northeast to demolish and relocate the church by September 15, said Church sources.

The withdrawal of the deadline on the 25th memorial Bumsan Kachin Baptist Church was explained by U Than Zaw Latt, Deputy Director of Religion Department in Muse District along with U Tin Aung Kyi, director of 105 Miles Border Trade Zone in a short meeting with Church leaders in Mong Yu (Mineyu) Township Administrative Office (Ma-Ya-Ka) from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. local time, a Church leader said.

U Than Zaw Latt said "As I am in-charge of religious affairs in Muse District, please inform me whenever there is any construction activity concerning the Church.  Other else the local military officers under me will disturb you like this time."

At the meeting, the Church also handed over a letter including the three main topics "Mentioning the Church's relocation is irrational and the Church will not move unless there is a direct order from the military under the junta," to the two Burmese officials, said Rev. Brang Mai, the chief pastor who led Church's leaders in the today's meeting.

Regarding the withdrawal of the deadline, Rev. Brang Mai said, "Firstly, I want to say that the deadline has failed because of God's blessings.  Secondly, all the Church's followers have faith in God.  They participated and prayed deeply whenever the authorities threatened to remove Church in many different ways since 2005."

According to participants U Than Win, Deputy Director of 105 Miles Border Trade Zone was absent at the meeting today. He is the one who set the deadline to remove the Church by September 15 at a meeting between Church leaders and authorities on August 30 at the Mong Yu Ma-Ya-Ka office.

The location of the Bumsan Baptist Church in Mongyo Township has come inside 105 Miles Border Trade Zone, the new border export-import trade zone since 2005.  Earlier, it was outside the trade zone, said Church's leaders.

The Church is combined with four main villages in Mong Yu under the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC)'s Mungmau District Baptist Convention in northeast Shan State. The Church has over 200 followers, according to Church leaders.