Questions from the government lawyer, to the pro-democracy activist from Burma:
Why did you protest in front of the Embassy? isn't it dangerous to protest?
you willingly put your family into danger?
Your government gave you a passport? they put stamps into it?
You flew from Rangoon to Bangkok? why not apply for asylum in Bangkok?
Then you flew to Narita airport, in Japan? why not apply for asylum in Japan?
What was your intent as you left your country? did you have a clear intent, or were you just confused and nervous?
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You went to the US Embassy and asked for a visa?
what questions did they ask, and how did you answer? did you lie?
You told lies to the US official? why?
Why didn't your wife ask for a visa at the same time?
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your father came to the USA, and then he returned home? he voluntarily returned to the country that you say is so dangerous? and, after his return, did he have any problems? so the country is not dangerous? if your father had no problems, why would you?
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You say your government took your photograph while you were standing on the sidewalk in front of the Embassy. How would government know the guy in the baseball hat is you?
Does your government have spies and informants in the crowd?
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what did you tell your wife about your plans? what was her response?
what did you tell your brother? what was his response?
your brother lives here in the USA and he refuses to help you? it is OK with him if you get sent back to the "dangerous" country? so, according to your brother, it is not really a dangerous country?
You had problems in the city of Monywa? OK, so, why not go live in the city of Rangoon? would you be safe in some other city?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Burmese Applicant #3
You say you were in prison until January 2009? but you only left your country in December? why the big delay? why not flee immediately?
What was your intent as you left your country? did you plan to apply for asylum? did you have lots of information about the USA, and what the rules were? or, did you just have a small amount of info?
If you only had a small amount of info, were you confused, and you did not really have a plan?
Tell my all about your passport: when was it issued? was it difficult to get? did you have to pay a bribe to get it?
Did you re-new your passport? The government was happy to help you out, and re-new it?
You showed your passport to the officials at the airport, as you left your country? No one arrested you at the airport? why not?
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What would happen to you if you return to your country? why would you be arrested?
If you were not arrested at the airport, would you continue your oppostional political activies? would you join anti-government groups? would you protest in your country?
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Were you a member of any organization in Burma? did you hold an office? were you a prominent member, or just an ordinary person who sat on a chair, in silence, during meetings?
What did you do as a member of that organization? did you sit at a desk and make phone calls? stand on the street and pass out literature? ask people to donate money? march and chant slogans on the street? write letters and essays?
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Inside the prison, what did the guard ask you? how did he know you were a member of that organziation?
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What were your political activities in the USA? did you stand on sidewalk with a large poster, in front of your embassy? did you join any groups? did you hold a leadership position?
Does your government know what you did in USA? how do you know if they know that?
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You say you protested in front of the Embassy? and that Embassy workers took your photograph?
Why did they take your photo?
You think they send the photo back to your country, and match it with a passport photo, and find out who you are?
Why do you think that? did someone tell you that?
How do you know what they do, or do not do?
do you know the name of one person, who protested in USA, who then returned home, and was arrested?
What was your intent as you left your country? did you plan to apply for asylum? did you have lots of information about the USA, and what the rules were? or, did you just have a small amount of info?
If you only had a small amount of info, were you confused, and you did not really have a plan?
Tell my all about your passport: when was it issued? was it difficult to get? did you have to pay a bribe to get it?
Did you re-new your passport? The government was happy to help you out, and re-new it?
You showed your passport to the officials at the airport, as you left your country? No one arrested you at the airport? why not?
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What would happen to you if you return to your country? why would you be arrested?
If you were not arrested at the airport, would you continue your oppostional political activies? would you join anti-government groups? would you protest in your country?
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Were you a member of any organization in Burma? did you hold an office? were you a prominent member, or just an ordinary person who sat on a chair, in silence, during meetings?
What did you do as a member of that organization? did you sit at a desk and make phone calls? stand on the street and pass out literature? ask people to donate money? march and chant slogans on the street? write letters and essays?
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Inside the prison, what did the guard ask you? how did he know you were a member of that organziation?
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What were your political activities in the USA? did you stand on sidewalk with a large poster, in front of your embassy? did you join any groups? did you hold a leadership position?
Does your government know what you did in USA? how do you know if they know that?
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You say you protested in front of the Embassy? and that Embassy workers took your photograph?
Why did they take your photo?
You think they send the photo back to your country, and match it with a passport photo, and find out who you are?
Why do you think that? did someone tell you that?
How do you know what they do, or do not do?
do you know the name of one person, who protested in USA, who then returned home, and was arrested?
Burmese applicant #2
More questions asked of a pro-democracy activist from Burma:
When was the first time you were arrested? tell me the month/year/city?
Where were you, at the moment of your arrest?
How long were you detained?
Were you questioned? how many times? 3 x?
during the first questioning period, did you suffer any physical abuse?
what did they hit you with? what weapons did they use?
where did they hit you? on your left leg?
Did you see any blood? where? on your shirt, and on your hands?
Did you suffer any long-lasting injuries?
did you see a doctor for your injuries?
Where is the medical record from the doctor, confirming that you saw the doctor?
How did you get released? what was the conversation at the time of your release?
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you were released from prison in 2006? did you have any problems with your government in 2007? in 2008?
Did you ever travel outside of your country? when?
Why didn't you apply for asylum in France? why not in Japan?
After living in Japan, you voluntarily returned to Burma?
You say your government hates you, but you voluntarily returned to your country?
Isn't the fact of your return some evidence that your country is not dangerous?
When was the first time you were arrested? tell me the month/year/city?
Where were you, at the moment of your arrest?
How long were you detained?
Were you questioned? how many times? 3 x?
during the first questioning period, did you suffer any physical abuse?
what did they hit you with? what weapons did they use?
where did they hit you? on your left leg?
Did you see any blood? where? on your shirt, and on your hands?
Did you suffer any long-lasting injuries?
did you see a doctor for your injuries?
Where is the medical record from the doctor, confirming that you saw the doctor?
How did you get released? what was the conversation at the time of your release?
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you were released from prison in 2006? did you have any problems with your government in 2007? in 2008?
Did you ever travel outside of your country? when?
Why didn't you apply for asylum in France? why not in Japan?
After living in Japan, you voluntarily returned to Burma?
You say your government hates you, but you voluntarily returned to your country?
Isn't the fact of your return some evidence that your country is not dangerous?
questions asked of a Burmese applicant
How old are you?
are you married? where is your wife?
children? where are they?
mother and father: where are they?
brothers? where are they? One is in the USA? his status?
sisters: one is in France? her status there?
Has any member of your family had problems with the government? YES?
1. your wife: she had problems? her three biggest problems: tell me the month/year/city for each problem.
2. your youngest daughter: her biggest problems? tell me the month/year/city where she had problems!
3. did anyone else in your family have problems? Cousin Tial? he was in prison for six months in 1998? why was he in prison?
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Now, tell me more about your self:
your education? did you finish high school? did you go to university?
-what work did you do? did you have a good job, earning lots of money? You did not want to leave your high-paying job, but you felt you had to leave?
Or, were you un-employed, living in poverty, and you just came to USA to earn money?
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Did you have any problems with your government? What were your three biggest problems?
You were imprisoned three times? tell me the month/year/city
YOUR FIRST ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT
when were you arrested? tell me month/year/city!
Where were you at the moment of your arrest? were you standing on the sidewalk? sitting on a chair inside your house?
Why were you arrested? what did the officer say to you?
are you married? where is your wife?
children? where are they?
mother and father: where are they?
brothers? where are they? One is in the USA? his status?
sisters: one is in France? her status there?
Has any member of your family had problems with the government? YES?
1. your wife: she had problems? her three biggest problems: tell me the month/year/city for each problem.
2. your youngest daughter: her biggest problems? tell me the month/year/city where she had problems!
3. did anyone else in your family have problems? Cousin Tial? he was in prison for six months in 1998? why was he in prison?
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Now, tell me more about your self:
your education? did you finish high school? did you go to university?
-what work did you do? did you have a good job, earning lots of money? You did not want to leave your high-paying job, but you felt you had to leave?
Or, were you un-employed, living in poverty, and you just came to USA to earn money?
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Did you have any problems with your government? What were your three biggest problems?
You were imprisoned three times? tell me the month/year/city
YOUR FIRST ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT
when were you arrested? tell me month/year/city!
Where were you at the moment of your arrest? were you standing on the sidewalk? sitting on a chair inside your house?
Why were you arrested? what did the officer say to you?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
questions asked of a Christian from Burma
How did you get out of your country? did you leave thru the airport using your own passport, with your photo in it?
Did you pay a bribe to the official at the airport? how much? how did you pay him? put cash in an envelope?
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At the US Embassy, did you tell them your problems? why not/
Did you tell lies to get your visa? what questions did they ask you, and how did you answer?
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You say you were arrested in 2009? did you have any problems before that? everything was happy and great? did you suffer any employment discrimination? did anyone threaten you?
Why did you teach in the church?
Where were you, at the moment of your arrest? standing inside the church? sitting at a cafe drinking coffee? who else was there?
How long had you been teaching that day, before your arrest?
What was your father doing at that time? your mother?
When you later saw your sister, what thoughts went through your mind?
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You say that when you protested in front of the Embassy in Washington DC, a man inside the Embassy took your photograph? how do you know? why did he do that?
You think he sends the photo back to Burma, to compare it to your passport photo, and that way they can identify you?
Why do you think that?
did an official at the Embassy tell you that/
Who is Mr. Htut? did you work at the Burmese Embassy until the year 2005? was his story in the Washington Post? did he tell the newspaper that while he was in WAshington, he spent most of his time doing surveillance of Burmese exiles?
-Did Mr. Nyi Nyi Aung protest in USA, return to Burma, and then get arrested in 2009?
What is the VOA? what is the DVB? where do they broadcast their videos?
Did you pay a bribe to the official at the airport? how much? how did you pay him? put cash in an envelope?
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At the US Embassy, did you tell them your problems? why not/
Did you tell lies to get your visa? what questions did they ask you, and how did you answer?
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You say you were arrested in 2009? did you have any problems before that? everything was happy and great? did you suffer any employment discrimination? did anyone threaten you?
Why did you teach in the church?
Where were you, at the moment of your arrest? standing inside the church? sitting at a cafe drinking coffee? who else was there?
How long had you been teaching that day, before your arrest?
What was your father doing at that time? your mother?
When you later saw your sister, what thoughts went through your mind?
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You say that when you protested in front of the Embassy in Washington DC, a man inside the Embassy took your photograph? how do you know? why did he do that?
You think he sends the photo back to Burma, to compare it to your passport photo, and that way they can identify you?
Why do you think that?
did an official at the Embassy tell you that/
Who is Mr. Htut? did you work at the Burmese Embassy until the year 2005? was his story in the Washington Post? did he tell the newspaper that while he was in WAshington, he spent most of his time doing surveillance of Burmese exiles?
-Did Mr. Nyi Nyi Aung protest in USA, return to Burma, and then get arrested in 2009?
What is the VOA? what is the DVB? where do they broadcast their videos?
questions asked of a witness in court
You say that Mary was arrested because of her religious activities?
did you see her doing religious activities?
When did she start teaching religion?
how do you know that?
where was she arrested?
How do you know that?
who else was there at the time of arrest?
why was she arrested?
What did you do?
did you travel somewhere? did you talk to someone? did you write a letter?
where did Mary go after she was released from prison?
how do you know that?
why did she go there? how do you know?
did the police ever talk to you? when?
Did you help mary leave the country? what did you do?
Did you read your own Declaration before today? are you surprised that I am holding it in my hand, and seeing if you can repeat it/
did you see her doing religious activities?
When did she start teaching religion?
how do you know that?
where was she arrested?
How do you know that?
who else was there at the time of arrest?
why was she arrested?
What did you do?
did you travel somewhere? did you talk to someone? did you write a letter?
where did Mary go after she was released from prison?
how do you know that?
why did she go there? how do you know?
did the police ever talk to you? when?
Did you help mary leave the country? what did you do?
Did you read your own Declaration before today? are you surprised that I am holding it in my hand, and seeing if you can repeat it/
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
pro-American from Iraq
The Asylum officer asked these questions of the wife of a high-ranking Army officer:
1. can you repeat your answers to page One of Form I-589? i.e. when did you last leave your country? when did you last enter USA? what is your tribal or ethnic group?
2. are there errors on page 4 of Form I-589? why is that?
3. if there are errors and confusions on page One and on page 4, then the Asylum Officer will get tired and bored with your case, before you get to the good parts?
So, you should try really hard to make page 1 and 4 perfect?
4. after your application was prepared,did someone read it back to you, in your language?
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5. You say your husband was helping the US Army? how did the people in your neighborhood find out about that?
6. You lived on 42nd Street? does everyone on that street know what everyone else is doing? it is like a "small town" here in USA?
7. you say your husband went to the city of Kirkuk? how did the people in your neighborhood find out about that?
8. what is your religion? how did people find out that was your religion?
9. are some names obviously "Sunni"? if X is his name, then most likely he is a Sunni?
10. are some names obviously Shia? like what?
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11. you were born in Iraq, and now you live in USA? what other countries have you traveled to, and can you live there now? why didn't you apply for asylum at the other countries?
12. in June 2008, in Baghdad, the man wearing a scarf over his face, hit you? why?
did you go to hospital? where are the hospital records? did you even try to get the hospital records?
13. what did the man say? what else did he say?
14. you say it happened in June? but does your Declaration say it was in July?
you were too busy to read your own declaration?
15. where is the original of the police report? how did you get this copy? thru a computer? through the mail? where is the envelope? who sent it to you?
16. when did you talk to the police? what did they say to you?
17. when was your visa issued by the US Embassy?
18. what would happen if you return to Iraq?
19. you say Baghdad is dangerous; OK, so why don't you go live in another city? aren't there many cities and many areas where it is safe?
20. is there anything else? what?
21. OK, is there anything else? what is your favorite exhibit?
1. can you repeat your answers to page One of Form I-589? i.e. when did you last leave your country? when did you last enter USA? what is your tribal or ethnic group?
2. are there errors on page 4 of Form I-589? why is that?
3. if there are errors and confusions on page One and on page 4, then the Asylum Officer will get tired and bored with your case, before you get to the good parts?
So, you should try really hard to make page 1 and 4 perfect?
4. after your application was prepared,did someone read it back to you, in your language?
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5. You say your husband was helping the US Army? how did the people in your neighborhood find out about that?
6. You lived on 42nd Street? does everyone on that street know what everyone else is doing? it is like a "small town" here in USA?
7. you say your husband went to the city of Kirkuk? how did the people in your neighborhood find out about that?
8. what is your religion? how did people find out that was your religion?
9. are some names obviously "Sunni"? if X is his name, then most likely he is a Sunni?
10. are some names obviously Shia? like what?
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11. you were born in Iraq, and now you live in USA? what other countries have you traveled to, and can you live there now? why didn't you apply for asylum at the other countries?
12. in June 2008, in Baghdad, the man wearing a scarf over his face, hit you? why?
did you go to hospital? where are the hospital records? did you even try to get the hospital records?
13. what did the man say? what else did he say?
14. you say it happened in June? but does your Declaration say it was in July?
you were too busy to read your own declaration?
15. where is the original of the police report? how did you get this copy? thru a computer? through the mail? where is the envelope? who sent it to you?
16. when did you talk to the police? what did they say to you?
17. when was your visa issued by the US Embassy?
18. what would happen if you return to Iraq?
19. you say Baghdad is dangerous; OK, so why don't you go live in another city? aren't there many cities and many areas where it is safe?
20. is there anything else? what?
21. OK, is there anything else? what is your favorite exhibit?
Monday, August 9, 2010
how much English do you really understand?
1. "torture" is an English word. Do you think it means "beatings"?
if so, then if you were hung by your wrists from a hook, you were not "tortured"?
2. "stick" is an English word. Is it the same as "club"?
3. what does "house" mean? "building"? "church"
4. sometimes, you are not sure what the answer is, but, you do not want to ask for clarification, so you guess at the answer? [David did this when he went to England in 1970, and when he could not fully understand the people in London as they spoke English with heavy accents]
if so, then if you were hung by your wrists from a hook, you were not "tortured"?
2. "stick" is an English word. Is it the same as "club"?
3. what does "house" mean? "building"? "church"
4. sometimes, you are not sure what the answer is, but, you do not want to ask for clarification, so you guess at the answer? [David did this when he went to England in 1970, and when he could not fully understand the people in London as they spoke English with heavy accents]
culture and demeanor
A lady from Sierra Leone made eye contact with the counselor, until she started to talk about being raped. Then she looked down.
Is it wrong to "stare" at an authority figure while sharing something intimate?
What does an American judge think?
A lady, from a high social class, from the Congo was beaten and raped in her country, but in court she did not cry and she showed no emotion. Is it "shameful and not proper" for a woman of her social class to cry in court?
What would an American judge think?
How many words are in the Kinya-rwandan language? 100,000? how many words are in the English language?
are there some words in English which do not exist in your language?
are there some words in your language which do not exist in English?
in the Greek language, are there four different words for "love"?
do the Eskimos have 17 words for "snow"?
Is it wrong to "stare" at an authority figure while sharing something intimate?
What does an American judge think?
A lady, from a high social class, from the Congo was beaten and raped in her country, but in court she did not cry and she showed no emotion. Is it "shameful and not proper" for a woman of her social class to cry in court?
What would an American judge think?
How many words are in the Kinya-rwandan language? 100,000? how many words are in the English language?
are there some words in English which do not exist in your language?
are there some words in your language which do not exist in English?
in the Greek language, are there four different words for "love"?
do the Eskimos have 17 words for "snow"?
different kinds of deprivation
1. being deprived of food and water; forced to eat something that is not food
2. deprived of light; sounds; sleep; no human contact; no visitors; no phone calls or mail
3. deprived of information: I sit in a dark room. I do not know for how much longer. Will I be killed? does my family know where I am? do they think I am dead?
4. deprived of hygiene: no soap or water, no showers, no change of clothes
5. deprived of medical care
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6. too much stimulation:
lights are never turned off; loud continuous noise
2. deprived of light; sounds; sleep; no human contact; no visitors; no phone calls or mail
3. deprived of information: I sit in a dark room. I do not know for how much longer. Will I be killed? does my family know where I am? do they think I am dead?
4. deprived of hygiene: no soap or water, no showers, no change of clothes
5. deprived of medical care
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6. too much stimulation:
lights are never turned off; loud continuous noise
how to interview a person
Ask the person:
1] what aspects of your culture are most important to you?
2] are there aspects of your culture that would be important for me, [your counselor] to know about?
3] what things in life are important to you?
4] what criteria do you use, to determine if you are "successful"?
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5] concerning me, your counselor, are there aspects of my identity or culture that are important to you? what are they? [such as, "you write words with your left hand."]
6] are there behaviours on my part that you view negatively?
1] what aspects of your culture are most important to you?
2] are there aspects of your culture that would be important for me, [your counselor] to know about?
3] what things in life are important to you?
4] what criteria do you use, to determine if you are "successful"?
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5] concerning me, your counselor, are there aspects of my identity or culture that are important to you? what are they? [such as, "you write words with your left hand."]
6] are there behaviours on my part that you view negatively?
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