Asylum Officer questions to an activist from Burma July 9, 2025  Part One of Two

Tell me the three worst events that happened to you! which is the worst, and which was the last?

Did anyone help you do I-589? how did he help you? Did anyone help you with your "Written Statement"? how did he help you?

Do you have any more documents for me ,  today?

Can you repeat page one of Form I-589 without looking at it?

What is Form DS-160? how many times did you fill one out? when was the first time? is everything in it true? It asks if you have a "social media" presence? you have a Facebook account? Instagram account? Have you used social media platforms in the past 5 years?

In the DS-160, it asked "Intended length of stay in U.S."? 
 "Do you have any relatives in U.S."? "Your previous employers"? "Your previous education"? "International travel"?

DS-160 asks: "Have you ever been arrested?" "Did you give money to a violent organization?"

did you have a face-to-face interview with an official at US Embassy? You were asked "What is your intended length of stay in US?" "Have you ever been arrested?"

Why do you fear returning to your country? why do you fear your government? what would happen if you return tomorrow?

Why would government harm you? what is your political opinion? how does the government know you have this opinion? how did you express it in your country? how have you expressed it in US? If you return, would you express it again?

Why would government harm you?

You say you "protested." Does that mean you walked on the street, chanting anti-government slogans and carrying a large poster that had anti-government words on it? What language was the poster in? Can you draw me a picture of it, right now?

Where was the first protest? who organized it? how did you learn that it would happen? when did you arrive at it? who else was there?

Does the government require getting a permit, before  you can protest?

When did you first decide to protest? What did government do, that makes you angry? Why does that make you feel angry?

Were you ever harmed in your country? any physical harm? emotional harm? economic harm?

Ever been threatened? One kind of threat is face-to-face. Are there other kinds of threats? Is living in your country every day a threat? Everyday, was there a threat of being arrested?

What did government say on television about what would happen if you protested?

 Part two of questions from July 7, 2025

Did you report your problems to the police? why not?

THE FUTURE: if you return, what would happen? why would that happen? is there any other reason?

Is anyone looking for you right now? why? why do  you believe that?

The last time government visited your home in person was when? last time they phoned you? last time they talked to a member of your family?  The government has forgotten about you?

Is there constant surveillance in your country? what are the dalan ?

Is the government specifically and personally looking for you? why do you believe that? why is the government looking for you? any other reason?

Will you protest in Burma, if you return to burma? why not?

Are you a member of a political party? do you have a membership card? have you done any "opposition activities" here in USA? why not? You say you protested? Why do you risk your life by protesting?

What do you not like about your government?

You went to a protest in Irrawaddy in December 2024? Who put on that protest? how many attended? who told you about it? what exactly did you do? You walked in the street, carrying a large sign, and you shouted anti-government slogans? Did anyone notice what you were doing?

Do you know anyone who returned to Burma? what happened to them? How would the government know that you returned?

Are you able to repeat  your Declaration, even if I do not ask you about it?

Why would you protest in the future?

Did you ever criticize your government online? why? what was your criticism?

What is "internal relocation"? is it possible for you?

what is "material support"? does it include a drink of water, giving one dollar, giving someone a ten-minute ride in your car?

    There are "violent" groups in Burma? they have guns and they shoot them? According to the law of the USA, are they "terrorists"?   So,, did you give help to a group that the US considers to be terrorist?

 QUESTIONS ASKED BY ASYLUM OFFICER, OF AN ACTIVIST FROM BURMA ON JULY 7, 2025

Did anyone help you do I-589? how did he help you?

Can you repeat everything on page One of I-589 without looking at it?

What is your current immigration status in USA? for each country that you visited, what was your status there? Why not seek asylum there?

You say government hates you because you are a minority? Your mother is the same minority, and she lives in Burma? How come she is not dead? How come government does not harm her?

Attached to I-589 is a written statement? did anyone help you with that? how did he help you?

What is Form DS-160? how many times did you fill it out? Did anyone help you with it? How did they help? Is the information on DS-160 accurate? That form asked if you had ever been arrested? that form asked if your stay in USA would be only for two weeks? So, you lied on the DS-160?

Did you have a face-to-face interview at US Embassy? you answered questions, and gave the officer information? Did you lie to him? why?

WERE  YOU THREATENED IN YOUR COUNTRY?

What does the word "threat" mean? There are direct, personal threats: the officer, standing in front of you says, "Maybe tomorrow I will kill you!"  How many direct, personal threats did you get? Four? OK, for threat #1, tell me month/year/city. What words did the man say?

   For threat #2, tell me month/year/city. What words did the man say? Tell me exactly what he said! What language did he speak in?  Where were you, at the time of the threat?

Did the man say anything else? "Sitting here right now, not that I can recall"

Were you targeted personally? why? how did the officer know your religion? how did he know your ethnic group? how did he know  your political opinion?  

Is "family" a particular social group? if government is angry at your brother, but they can't find him, are they angry at you? so, you suffer harm because you are the brother of your brother?

How many protests did you attend in your country in 2021? in 2022? How come you stopped protesting?

Why did you believe the man was part of the military? What exactly did the officer say? He made a direct threat to you, or was it indirect?

Everyday in Burma, you are under threat?

In January 2024, in Mandalay, the officer said, "I will  throw you into prison!"? Do you still think about that threat? what do you think about it? Ever have flashbacks? Are they unpleasant?

Why did he threaten you? Was it because of  1] race or ethnic group? 2] religion? 3] political opinion? 4] particular social group? is "family" a particular social group? How much about you did the officer know? did he know about "family"?

Are there four main grounds for asylum? what are they?

You were targeted personally, because why? What specific basis do you have to support  your belief?

 Part Two of Two: June 2025 asylum officer questions of an activist from Burma:

Are you active in the US? what do you do? ever protest? 

Did you ever protest in Burma? [why do you suppose the officer asks the same question twice?]

What would happen if you return to Burma tomorrow? what would happen at the airport? how would they know you arrived?

Why do you fear returning? do you know anyone else, similarly-situated, who protested abroad and then who returned to Burma and was arrested at YGN airport?

What does your government think about people who studied in USA for three years? Are they going to be trouble-makers in Burma, because they have seen democracy in action?

What do you fear if you return? why would that happen?

Whom do you fear? [doesn't the officer know the answer to this question? why does he ask this?]

Dalan people in USA go to protests, take photos, and then tell the government who is in the photos?

Is there anything else? Yes? what?

Why did your uncle need to get a travel permit to drive his car from Yangon to Mandalay? The government has a limited amount of money? But instead of using it to build schools, roads, and hospitals, they hire thugs to harass their own people? They hire office workers to issue travel permits? Is the entire country like a prison?

You are a member of the Chinese ethnic group? Why do the Bamar hate the Chinese? What is the three Bs policy?

 June 13, 2025 questions by Asylum Officer to an activist from Burma:  Part One of Two

Did anyone help you do I-589? how did they help? any updates? any new documents for today?  How many years did you live in Shan State? How long have you been a Muslim?

Did you provide a written statement? What is a statement? what is a declaration? what is an affidavit? you don't know the difference? so why do you quickly and glibly answer my questions?

DS-160: did you ever apply for a visa before? how many times? Your first visa application: did anyone help you prepare it? is everything in it true? Does it ask if you were arrested? You were arrested, weren't  you? So, you lied on your DS-160? You had a face-to-face interview at US Embassy? you told more lies to the officer?

What false statements are on your second visa application? You have not read it, recently, have you? But I have, yes?

Tell me your immigration status and applications here in USA?

When apply for TPS? when did you re-apply? Tell me about your F-1 and your association and activities at the  university!

= = = 

Have you ever been harmed or threatened? When was the first time  you were threatened? when was the second time? when was the third time? which time was the worst?

   What is a threat? A soldier could walk up to you, and say, "If you do not give me money right now, I will shoot you." That is a direct, verbal threat?

If yesterday, your friend received a direct, verbal threat, is that a "threat" for you today? Living each day in Burma is a "threat," isn't it? Each day, the government threatens its people. Everyone lives under threat every day. This is an indirect threat, perhaps.

What is "harm"? There are many kinds of harm. Each day in Burma you feel anxious and nervous? Each day, you suffer emotional harm?

What did you see with your eyes? Three smiling young girls, with flowers in their hands? NO? Three large, angry-faced young muscular men in uniforms, with guns, and they were not from your ethnic group?

What is a Bamar? how do they look different from you? How do they know you are not a Bamar?

You lived for ten years in Mandalay? Five years in Irrawaddy?

When you told the officer your cousin was a student in USA, the officer said, "Oh, she is getting brainwashed there to hate her own country?"

How many protests did you attend in Burma? How did the government know that you were protesting, in the middle of the street, in broad daylight?  Who are the dalan? What do they do?

 June 2025: more questions to an activist, from Asylum Officer:

Where were you, at the moment of your harm? What did you see? What did you hear? Did the angry man say some words? what langugage? what words did he say?

Was he an ordinary criminal? Can you win asylum, if an ordinary criminal harms you?

At that time, who else was present? why didn't they write a letter of support for you?

Were there other "similarly-situated" persons in your country? were they also harmed? 

How were you harmed in June 2024? As he raised the stick, what thoughts went through your mind?

How do you know he was a government agent? Why do you believe he was a government agent? What was he wearing? what words did he say?  were there any other words that he said?

At the hospital, what did the doctor say to you?

If a family member does something, is everyone in the family now at risk?

How were you harmed in July 2024? what words did the angry man say?   What were you doing at the moment of your arrest? where were you at the moment of your arrest?

I, the asylum officer, read your statement this morning. When was the last time you read it? I know more about you, than you do? Is that embarrassing to you?

How did you express your political opinion? How did you criticize the government? how do they know that you did those things?

How did you get out of jail? What was the conversation, as you were released?  What words did the guard say?

What was the most severe harm that happened to you?

How do you know it was a government man who hit you?

How many times were you threatened? what was the worst threat? when was the last threat? 

Why do you believe the man was angry at you, because of your political opinion?

What would happen if you return to your country? who would harm you? why?  Would you be harmed because of your "family"?

What is your view of your government? what is your political opinion? Today, June 2025, what is your political opinion? have you expressed it, even once, in the last 12 months? I guess it is not important to you?

If you return, would you continue to press for democracy?

How would the government know anything about you?

Are there any "similarly-situated" persons, who are like you? Did any of them recently suffer harm?

Did you report your problems to the police? what did they do?

Can you safely relocate inside your country? You were injured in City #1? OK, so why not go live in City #2?

How do you know it was the police who harmed you?

What is "material support"?  Even if under duress, did you give material support to the well-meaning freedom fighters?

 June 2025: Asylum Officer questions, to an activist from Tanzania:

-Who helped you do Form I-589? How did he help you?

Who helped you with  your written statement? How did he help you? Was your statement read back to you, in your native language?

DS-160: what is Form DS-160? is it an application for a visa? who helped you answer the questions? is everything true on it? Yes? why do you say that? you lied didn't you?

   To get your visa, did you have face-to-face interview at US Embassy? They asked you questions? You lied or told the truth?

Are you aware of its contents? Yes? why do you say Yes, when you have not read it for six years? I, the asylum officer, know much more about your DS-160, yes? Is that embarrassing to you?

Why are you applying for asylum? Why is Government angry at you? Why are agents of the government angry at you?

Were you harmed in your country? How?

Were you threatened in your country? How many times? Give me a number!

When was the first harm? [asylum officer switches back and forth between "harm" and "threats"] When was the last harm?

When was the first threat? when was the last threat? By the way, what is a threat? If you see that the windows of your car were smashed, and its tires slashed, is that a threat? 

What was the date of your most serious harm? If you had several serious harms, which is the most serious? 

How do you remember that date? Is there any other reason why you remember that date?

What is the name of your political party? when did you become a member? why did you join? what is the mission of it? You were a member, or "are" you a member? "Are" is the present tense? Are you a member today, June 2025?

What is the mission statement of your party? Someone from your party wrote you a letter of support? why not?

What did you do, as a member? What would a video of you show? sitting at a desk? walking on the street? distributing literature? speaking thru a microphone at a rally?

You say you "helped the youth"? That's nice. What did you do?

Lecture them?

Did your party have meetings? how often? where? what was discussed at the meetings? what was debated? were alternative debated? Everyone just sat around and complained and lamented? Were the meetings a waste of time? where were the meetings held? how many attended? 

You say the meeting was in Tabata? that is different from Dar es Salaam? do you think I know the different sections and quarters in Dar es Salaam?

Who harmed you in August 2015? why do you say you don't know? It was a Chinese man, who hit you, just for fun? Perhaps it was an agent of the government? What do you believe?

Where were you, at the moment of your harm? Lying down in a bed, in a hotel? Sitting on a chair, in a restaurant? Standing outside, on the street?  What did you see, what did you hear?

You saw a man with an angry face come near to you, and he was holding a large stick? He said words? Really? what language? What words did he say? Why don't you answer my questions? Did he say words? Really? Good. Can you remember what words he said? Yes? Good. Now, can you repeat the words he said?

Why do you make me ask the same question five times? Isn't it boring for you? by the way, do you think it is boring for me?