New church destroyed in Sagaing division

New church destroyed in Sagaing division
Local Burmese military junta authorities destroyed a new Church under construction in Tayawati Town in Kalaymyo Township (TPDC), Sagaing division, Burma on November 27, 2008...

Local Burmese military junta authorities destroyed a new Church under construction in Tayawati Town in Kalaymyo Township (TPDC), Sagaing division, Burma on November 27, 2008.

 Students of Tayawati town Government Technology Centre started the construction and laid the foundation. But the Kalaymyo Township Peace and Development Council Chairman ordered the Local Township Peace and Development Council members to demolish the construction, said a local.

 The Christian Technology Fellowship (CTF) Church was formed by students from Chin State and the Sagaing Christian community. Earlier they worshiped in the hostel.

 Most Tayawati people are Buddhists and they asked the authorities to stop the worship by Christians in the hostel and in their town. This led to Christian students shifting six times to other rooms for worship, said a student of GTC.

 According to a student "we could not rent a room for worship, so we applied to the Kaly Church of Council (KCC) to build a Church for us. Rev. Cing Lian Sum, Secretary of KCC approved building a Church and bought a place for Kyat 3 lakhs in 2005. And then the students got Kyat 12 lakhs from Chin state churches and personal donations".

 But Tayawati residents refused to allow construction of a Church in their town.. So, the Kalaymyo TPDC, and local authorities stopped construction of the Church for three years.

 GTC students tried to build the Church by ignoring the authorities and laid a foundation when the school was open. But when the school closed after the final examinations and Christian students left for their respective home towns the authorities destroyed whatever construction had been made.

 "I observed that the Church was totally destroyed when I arrived there. The local people are Buddhists, so they don't want a Christian church there," said student.
 
There are 150 Chin Christian students of 300 students in GTC and most Chin students have hired rooms from local people.