why isn't each member of your family dead?

the Assistant Chief Counsel asked these questions of the pro-democracy activist from Ethiopia:
1. where does your older brother live? is he politically active? why not? is he afraid? he has never been arrested or imprisoned? is that because he was not active?
2. where does your younger brother live? why wasn't he arrested, killed, or imprisoned? is it because he is afraid, and is not politically active?
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3. why would your government target you? do they really know you? how did they come to know you? aren't there thousands of students? what makes you so special?
4. to get your visa to enter USA, did you actually go inside the US Embassy in the city of Adis Ababa? did you tell the truth, or did you lie to get your visa? why did you lie?
5. you protested with your friend, Mr. X? he was imprisoned with you? why didn't he write a letter of support for you? did you even ASK him to write a letter? did he tell you he was afraid to write a letter, or is he just lazy?
6. did you try to relocate inside your country? you had trouble in city #1? OK, so go live 500 miles away in City #2? why not do that?