pro-democracy activist from Burma

The Assistant Chief Counsel wanted to know:
1. where are the originals? where is each envelope?
2. why did you come to the USA?
3. as you left your country, any problems at the airport? why not? how much did you pay as a bribe?
4. was it hard, or was it easy, to get your passport? how much did you pay in bribes to get it?
5. why was your friend in Mandalay beaten to death?
6. your wife was arrested in June, 2009? after that, did she have any problems? why not?
7. what were your political activities here in the USA? what views did you express? did anyone notice? how do you know that someone from your government noticed?
8. did you engage in "oppositional political activities" [OPA] here in the USA?
9. does your government have knowledge of your OPA? how do you know?

a Christian from Egypt loses!

Ms. E, from Egypt, said the bad guys beat her up, and that she reported the crime to the police.
What did the police do, after you made the report? did they interview any witnesses? did they canvass the neighborhood, looking for evidence? did they ever call you back, and ask you more questions?

You say you received threats over the telephone? what did the man say? what words did he say?
What did you say to the US Embassy to get a visa? what documents did you give to them?
You left your country, which you say is very dangerous, and then you returned to it, voluntarily?
you returned, voluntarily, to the "dangerous" country? So I guess it is not so dangerous, correct?

You say you had problems in city #1? so, why don't you go live in City #2? why not in city #3?
your mother is a Christian? but no one has ever hurt her, correct? why not?

Why did the man hit you? what was his motive?

how to show emotional harm

There is physical harm, there is economic harm, and there is "emotional" harm.

1. In January 2010, how did you sleep at night? did you sleep well? or, was sleep interrupted by bad dreams and nightmares? can you draw me a picture of what you "saw" in your bad dream?

2. In the last six months, how has your appetite been? good? bad? did you gain or lose weight? why did that happen, do you think?

3. in the last six months, as you have been living here in the USA, did anything remind you of what happened to you in the old country? Did you see a man wearing a green uniform in Alexandria, VA? did you hear the referee blow a whistle during a basketball game, on your television in Hyattsville, MD? as you took the Metro over the river, did you smell the water?
did any of these things cause you to have a "flashback"?