Tuesday, October 11, 2022

 Asylum officer questions of an activist from Burma:

-did anyone help you with your application? how did they help you? how did you write your written statement? was it read back to you in your native language?

How many times did you apply for a tourist visa? who helped you apply? what lies did you tell to get the visa?

Is the information DS-160 true and correct? If you have not read it recently, how do you know what it says? You had a face-to-face interview with US officer to get your visa? You lied to him?

Can you repeat page 1 of Form I-589? pages 2-4? Tell me the birthdays of each of your children, and your wife

What was your last address, before coming to USA? What is the date of your departure from  your country? what date arrive in USA?  Tell me all of your international travel!

Why do you want asylum? Why is government angry at you?

How did you participate in the protest? you sat in a chair? you walked in the street, chanting slogans, and carrying big signs? did your government see you do that? how do they know what you were doing?

How was the protest organized? tell me, step by step, how it came to be. How were people notified of the event? Did you do something? If someone videotaped you on their phone, what would the video recording show that you were doing? Standing? walking into a house? distributing pamphlets?

Where were you at the moment of your arrest? Were you harmed physically? Emotionally, by being threatened? What happened upon arrival at police station? What did officer #1 say? What did Officer #2 say? did they have any weapons? did they use their weapons, on you?

What harm did the other protesters suffer? How long were you detained? what happened on the day of your release? What is a "lakh"? What is a kyat?

In 2016, you voluntarily returned to your "dangerous" country, but you were not arrested then? why not?

What would happen if you return to your country tomorrow? How would they know you returned? If you return to Mandalay, how would they know that you had protested in Yangon? What is a "household registration list"? Does each village actually enforce this list, or is it ignored? 

Why not live in Bago? or in Mandalay? 

Do government agents spend time looking at Facebook and Youtube? do they threaten people who post anti-government things on Facebook?  Does your government hire Infiltrators, Spies, and Informers in the USA? how do you know?

Why was your sister arrested? Do the police in Mandalay know about your problems in Yangon? How would the government find out?

What is your political opinion? did you exercise your First Amendment privileges here in USA? did you exercise your freedom of religion rights here in USA?

How would soldiers know if you return? Did the soldiers recently kill persons similarly-situated to you?

How are the Chin people treated? How are Christians treated? 

Did you give material support to a group that shoots guns against your government? Even under duress, did you give information or a glass of water to a group that has guns?

If you return, how would they find you?  How would they find you?  Is there anything else?