Asylum officer questions, asked of an activist from Asian country on July 26, 2025:

Anyone help you do I-589? how did he help? Anyone help you do DS=160? how did he help you?

What is your "Written Statement"? how was it prepared?

Why are you applying for asylum? Did you suffer any physical harm? How many times? Which was the worst experience?

Ever been threatened? how many times? What do you mean when you say, "Every day living in my country is a threat"?

Where were you at the time of your first arrest? walking on the street? sitting at home, reading a book? Who arrested you, and why? What words did the officer say? Inside your home, did you suffer physical harm? 

How were you taken to the police station? What words did the officer say in the police car? Did you suffer physical harm in the police car?   Upon arrival at the station, what did the officer say? Did you suffer physical harm upon arrival?

They put you in a small room? What was it like in that room? What is Exhibit 12? was there a bed? a toilet? lights? windows? rats? what food they give you? any water? 

What questions did they ask? why did they ask about the recent protest? why did they ask about the names of other protesters? why did they arrest  your brother?

Your ethnic group is Hui? If  you walk down the street, in silence, and someone sees you, how do they know if that is your ethnic group? If you speak, how do they know what your ethnic group is?

How did you feel during the days you were held in the small room? Did you talk to your family during those days? How did you feel about that? Upon your release, what did the officer say? How did you get home, after being released?

How did they know what your religion was? how did they know about your political opinion?

They hit your leg six years ago? Does it still hurt today? Wat is a flashback? Did you have a recent flashback to an event in your country?  Does that event affect  you mentally, today? How?

What is your opinion about your government? Why are you scared? why are you fearful? Why does the government hate your religion? why do they hate your ethnic group?

Did you join any political organizations in USA? why did you join? Do you have any evidence that you joined?

You were harmed in City #1? OK, so, why not live in City #2 or in City #3?  

If you return, what would happen?

Were you ever a member of a "violent" organization? What does "duress" mean? what is "material support"? if you don't know, how can you answer questions about those things?

Is there anything else?

 Asylum officer questions July 21, 2025 Part Two of Two

What language did the officer speak? do  you remember what he said? can you repeat it, in Burmese? Can you tell me, in English, what he said?

    Did he make an implied, or indirect threat? How? 

Did he touch you? did a weapon of his touch you?

Upon arrival at your house, he said what? did he harm you inside the house? he took you to police truck? Were you harmed inside the truck? What did he say to you? what did he say to other people who were there?

Upon arrival at police station, what did officer say? any harms or threats? Inside, what did they say?  Any physical harm inside? any threats? Did they harm you, inside?

Did you have any injuries, upon release? go to hospital? If you are not a military supporter, what does hospital think about you? Do you fear the nurse or doctor will report you to the government? Did you have enough money for the hospital?

What effect did your imprisonment have on you? Do you still think about it today? What do you think about? what is a "flashback"?

Did you report this event to the police? why not?

What was the second worst time, that you suffered physical harm? What did you see? What did you hear? Did the soldier have a gold star? a black scar? wearing what on his head? goggles?

How were you injured? Are you still injured?

What words did the man say? Did he make an implied threat?

What is the difference between a direct threat and an implied threat?  Did he say any words? What languge did he speak? can you remember his words? can you translate them into English?

After you answered the questions, did you suffer any harm?

Why did they require you to get permission before departing from the city?  How do you know they do surveillance on you each day? What is dalan?

Why did they harm you? What did they say to you, that reveals their motive?

Why do you support the NLD? what do you like about it? In the last six months, did you do anything to support the NLD? How would anyone know you support the NLD? Did you post anything on Facebook?

If  you return, what would happen? why would that happen? how would they know if you returned?

Is your government still interested in you, after all of these years? 

Do you know any similarly-situated persons who suffered harm in the last six months?  

How would they know if you returned?

Is there anything else?

 Asylum officer questions to a Burma activist on 7-21-25

Part One of Two 

  Did anyone help you do I-589? how did he help you? Anyone help you write your Written Statement? how did he help?

  Any new documents for me, today?

When did you last depart from your country?

Can you repeat page one of I-589 without looking at it?

Why are  you seeking asylum?

Ever been harmed or threatened? How many times did you suffer physical harm? What was the worst time?

   What was the second worst time?

Did you suffer any economic harm? What?

Did you suffer any emotional harm?

True or false: the anticipation of harm can be worse than the harm itself?

January 2025: You saw a man? wearing what? what color were his pants? his shirt? carrying a pistol? a baton? a rifle?

Any letters on his shirt? any numbers? any symbols, such as a white star or gold star? a triangle with two arrows in it?

 Asylum Officer questions to an activist from Burma July 9, 2025  Part One of Two

Tell me the three worst events that happened to you! which is the worst, and which was the last?

Did anyone help you do I-589? how did he help you? Did anyone help you with your "Written Statement"? how did he help you?

Do you have any more documents for me ,  today?

Can you repeat page one of Form I-589 without looking at it?

What is Form DS-160? how many times did you fill one out? when was the first time? is everything in it true? It asks if you have a "social media" presence? you have a Facebook account? Instagram account? Have you used social media platforms in the past 5 years?

In the DS-160, it asked "Intended length of stay in U.S."? 
 "Do you have any relatives in U.S."? "Your previous employers"? "Your previous education"? "International travel"?

DS-160 asks: "Have you ever been arrested?" "Did you give money to a violent organization?"

did you have a face-to-face interview with an official at US Embassy? You were asked "What is your intended length of stay in US?" "Have you ever been arrested?"

Why do you fear returning to your country? why do you fear your government? what would happen if you return tomorrow?

Why would government harm you? what is your political opinion? how does the government know you have this opinion? how did you express it in your country? how have you expressed it in US? If you return, would you express it again?

Why would government harm you?

You say you "protested." Does that mean you walked on the street, chanting anti-government slogans and carrying a large poster that had anti-government words on it? What language was the poster in? Can you draw me a picture of it, right now?

Where was the first protest? who organized it? how did you learn that it would happen? when did you arrive at it? who else was there?

Does the government require getting a permit, before  you can protest?

When did you first decide to protest? What did government do, that makes you angry? Why does that make you feel angry?

Were you ever harmed in your country? any physical harm? emotional harm? economic harm?

Ever been threatened? One kind of threat is face-to-face. Are there other kinds of threats? Is living in your country every day a threat? Everyday, was there a threat of being arrested?

What did government say on television about what would happen if you protested?

 Part two of questions from July 7, 2025

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

THE FUTURE: if you return, what would happen? why would that happen? is there any other reason?

Is anyone looking for you right now? why? why do  you believe that?

The last time government visited your home in person was when? last time they phoned you? last time they talked to a member of your family?  The government has forgotten about you?

Is there constant surveillance in your country? what are the dalan ?

Is the government specifically and personally looking for you? why do you believe that? why is the government looking for you? any other reason?

Will you protest in Burma, if you return to burma? why not?

Are you a member of a political party? do you have a membership card? have you done any "opposition activities" here in USA? why not? You say you protested? Why do you risk your life by protesting?

What do you not like about your government?

You went to a protest in Irrawaddy in December 2024? Who put on that protest? how many attended? who told you about it? what exactly did you do? You walked in the street, carrying a large sign, and you shouted anti-government slogans? Did anyone notice what you were doing?

Do you know anyone who returned to Burma? what happened to them? How would the government know that you returned?

Are you able to repeat  your Declaration, even if I do not ask you about it?

Why would you protest in the future?

Did you ever criticize your government online? why? what was your criticism?

What is "internal relocation"? is it possible for you?

what is "material support"? does it include a drink of water, giving one dollar, giving someone a ten-minute ride in your car?

    There are "violent" groups in Burma? they have guns and they shoot them? According to the law of the USA, are they "terrorists"?   So,, did you give help to a group that the US considers to be terrorist?

 QUESTIONS ASKED BY ASYLUM OFFICER, OF AN ACTIVIST FROM BURMA ON JULY 7, 2025

Did anyone help you do I-589? how did he help you?

Can you repeat everything on page One of I-589 without looking at it?

What is your current immigration status in USA? for each country that you visited, what was your status there? Why not seek asylum there?

You say government hates you because you are a minority? Your mother is the same minority, and she lives in Burma? How come she is not dead? How come government does not harm her?

Attached to I-589 is a written statement? did anyone help you with that? how did he help you?

What is Form DS-160? how many times did you fill it out? Did anyone help you with it? How did they help? Is the information on DS-160 accurate? That form asked if you had ever been arrested? that form asked if your stay in USA would be only for two weeks? So, you lied on the DS-160?

Did you have a face-to-face interview at US Embassy? you answered questions, and gave the officer information? Did you lie to him? why?

WERE  YOU THREATENED IN YOUR COUNTRY?

What does the word "threat" mean? There are direct, personal threats: the officer, standing in front of you says, "Maybe tomorrow I will kill you!"  How many direct, personal threats did you get? Four? OK, for threat #1, tell me month/year/city. What words did the man say?

   For threat #2, tell me month/year/city. What words did the man say? Tell me exactly what he said! What language did he speak in?  Where were you, at the time of the threat?

Did the man say anything else? "Sitting here right now, not that I can recall"

Were you targeted personally? why? how did the officer know your religion? how did he know your ethnic group? how did he know  your political opinion?  

Is "family" a particular social group? if government is angry at your brother, but they can't find him, are they angry at you? so, you suffer harm because you are the brother of your brother?

How many protests did you attend in your country in 2021? in 2022? How come you stopped protesting?

Why did you believe the man was part of the military? What exactly did the officer say? He made a direct threat to you, or was it indirect?

Everyday in Burma, you are under threat?

In January 2024, in Mandalay, the officer said, "I will  throw you into prison!"? Do you still think about that threat? what do you think about it? Ever have flashbacks? Are they unpleasant?

Why did he threaten you? Was it because of  1] race or ethnic group? 2] religion? 3] political opinion? 4] particular social group? is "family" a particular social group? How much about you did the officer know? did he know about "family"?

Are there four main grounds for asylum? what are they?

You were targeted personally, because why? What specific basis do you have to support  your belief?