November 2026 questions from an asylum officer in New York

Why did you depart from your country?

Why did you file for asylum, when you did?

Did you suffer any physical harm in your country? How many times? did you have any long-lasting injuries? Did you sustain any injuries?

Were you threatened in your country? how many times? what was the worst threat?

"face-to-face" threat versus "indirect" threat: what is the difference?  Face-to-face means the soldier yells at your face, from two feet away. An indirect threat is when the soldier, standing two feet away from the face of your father, yells at your father's face, about you.

You say the soldier wanted to punish you? Why do you think that?

You say the soldier knocked loudly on your father's door?  What thoughts went through his mind, when he heard the knocking on his door?

You say the soldier yelled at your father? Why did the soldier yell at your father?

The soldier threatened your father? What was the threat? What words did the soldier say?

Why did the soldier want to punish your father?

You are a person who protested in public in the United States? Do you know any similarly-situtated persons, who, after they protested, returned to Burma?

A "similarly-situated" person is someone like you: a certtain religion, a certain ethnic group, who did certain things?  Let's call that person a "sim-sit."

Junta is a word from the Spanish language?

A junta is a small group that rules a country, usually military leaders who have taken power by force rather than through an election 

It’s pronounced “HOON-tuh” or “JUN-tuh.” The word comes from Spanish, where it can mean a meeting, committee, or council—not necessarily a military government

Coup is a word from the French language? 

A coup is an event—the sudden overthrow or seizure of a government by a small group. A junta is a ruling group, usually military officers, that may govern afterward.

Coup d'etat is a French phrase that means: "the state has been seized"

A coup d'état (commonly known as a coup) is a sudden, illegal, and often overt seizure and overthrow of an incumbent government by a small group of military officers, rebels, or political elites. [1, 2]

 a link to 219 pages about Burma

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16sMl6TkfYYYFZtAEBzCOLUibRZ7Ucw2h/view?usp=drive_link

 

ASYLUM OFFICER TRAINING MATERIALS ABOUT BURMA ARE RELEASED

August 2026: US-CIS released 219 pages, that it had given to its asylum officers, about country conditions in Burma. Also, there was material about how the Burmese government does surveillance of activists in the United States.

Read the 219 pages here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16sMl6TkfYYYFZtAEBzCOLUibRZ7Ucw2h/view?usp=sharing

 Asylum officer questions to an activist from Mozambique

Did you ever make a false statement to get an immigration benefit, such as telling lies to get your visa? In your written visa application, you told lies? In your oral interview at the Embassy, you told more lies?

Tell me your international travel: what was your status in each country? If you had problems in your country, why not depart earlier? If you really wanted asylum, why not apply immediately upon arrival in USA? Why did you apply for asylum, when you did?

Why do you want asylum? Whom do you fear? Why do  you fear them? why are they angry at you? Are they still angry at you?

If your government hates you, why did they give you a passport? why didn't they arrest you, at the airport, when you departed? They have forgotten about you, yes? 

How many times were you harmed? Are there different kinds of harm? 1] physical 2] emotional 3] economic? If you live every day under a threat, aren't you harmed every day? What is the cumulative effect of day after day threats?

When was the first harm? what was the worst harm? 

What words did the bad guy say? Can you repeat it, in the language he used? OK, now, can you translate that into English?

Why was he angry? what do you believe? why do you believe that? Do other people agree with you? [If many people believe something, that helps you believe it, also?]

How did you criticize your government? Were they aware that you criticized them?

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

When was the last time you were harmed? 

Your country is very dangerous? If so, why did you return to it, voluntarily?

Did you report your problems to the police? why not? [did you notice that I asked this question twice?]

Why are they targeting you, specifically? Are you famous, noisy, notorious, and conspicuous?

How would the bad guys become aware of your political opinion?

Has the government harmed similarly-situated persons?

Why would they harm you, in particular? what would happen if you return? how would they know if you return or not? Is there anything else? Yes, there is? what?

• Asylum officer questions June 2026 of a pro-democracy activist:
• Did you suffer physical harm? How many times?
• Were you threatened in your country? How many times? when was the first threat? what was the worst threat?
• What was the total number of threats?
• Some threats are face-to-face; some are over the phone; some are in emails or letters. How many of those?
• Some threats are "in-direct:" If the soldier yells at your father, and tells him to make sure you go to the police station, that is a real threat to both father and you
• = = = =
• Tell me about the man who  yelled at you. What was he wearing? were there words or emblems or insignia on his shirt? What weapons did you see?
• What words did he say? Were there any "implied" threats in his words?
•  = = =
• How do these threats affect you today?
• The last threat was two years ago. Why would your government still want to hurt you today? They forgot about you, didn't they?

 Asylum officer questions December 22, 2025

How did your lawyer help you with your written statement? What was the worst thing that happened to you? 

Did you tell lies to get your tourist visa? why? What does your passport say about your international travel? What is the Civil Disobedience Movement? were you a member? were you associated with it? how? did anyone know you were associated with it?

What thoughts went through your mind, when you heard the knock on your door? Why do you want asylum? why didn't you apply sooner? Were you threatened? how many times? Why did you depart from your country? Do you need permission to travel inside Burma, from one city to another? what is a direct threat? what is an indirect threat?  What were you protesting? Why did you protest? why not go to hospital, if you were injured? 

Were you targeted specifically? Are you of personal interest to your government? What was the man wearing? what weapons did he have? what words did he say? can you repeat what you said in your Written Statement? why didn't you go to a doctor? Details are good, unless you can't repeat them

 Asylum officer questions February 18, 2026

How was Written Statement prepared? when did you last depart from your country? 

How was your visa application prepared? is everything in it true?

Why did you apply for asylum? who do you fear? why?

Were you harmed or threatened in your country? how many times? when was the first harm? the last harm? the worst harm?

what would happen if you return? why would government arrest you? Who are you? what is special about you? How would government find out that you "supported" the NLD? what kind of support did you give? money? hours of labor? sit on a chair during a meeting?

Why are you pro-democracy? Is the government actively looking for you? why do you believe that? why are you against conscription? how could the government find you? why are you in fear today?

Are you in contact with people in Burma today? can't you live safely in Mandalay?