Questions asked of an activist from Burma:

Who helped you write your Written Statement? how did he help you? He made it shorter, and made it in chronological order?

Who helped you prepare your application for a visa? I have a copy of your visa in my computer, and I just read it, but you have not read it yourself? I know more about your visa application than you do? Is that embarrassing to you? What lies did you tell in your application?

Where is a copy of your first passport? Your second passport? Your government promptly and easily gives you passports, when you ask?

A soldier yelled at your uncle in December 2024 in the city of Mandalay? What words did he say? Did the soldier make any "indirect" or "implied" threats? Is there a difference between a direct, express, and clear threat, and a threat that is implied, indirect, or suggested?

Why did you apply for asylum? Because you fear  your government? Why are you in fear? Because they are angry at you? Why are they angry? For just one reason, or for more than one reason?

Did you suffer any harm? How many different kinds of harm are there? Physical, emotional, financial-economic, and "social" harm? 

Let's talk about physical harm. How many times did you suffer harm that was physical? When was the first time? Which was the worst?

Why did the soldier hit  you with his rifle butt? You think because he hated your ethnic group? Why do you think that? what words did the soldier say? when you told your uncles about this, did your uncle have an opinion as to why the soldier hit you?

There were seven houses on the street. Bamar people lived in six of them, and in house # 7, lived a non-Bamar family? Which house was burned? #7? Why was # 7 burned but the other six were not?

Everyone in Burma suffers, yes? Do non-Bamar people suffer more, or suffer dis-proportionately, compared to Bamar? How so?

 Asylum officer questions to an ethnic minority applicant from Burma:

When you applied for your tourist visa, you answered questions in Form DS-160? You were asked if you had ever been arrested? You were asked when you planned to return?

What does RTDC stand for? {Return To Dangerous Country] If you voluntarily return to your country, that you now say is "dangerous," doesn't that show your country is not dangerous?

Did you re-new your passport? You asked your country for something, and they did it? That shows they like you? 

You went to the airport to depart from your country, and they said, "Oh, you want to depart? Sure. Of course. We will do what you say: we allow you to depart." This shows your country likes you, and will not hurt you in the future?

Most people in Burma are members of the Bamar ethnic group? If you stand on the street, in silence, what does a soldier see? He sees a person with your skin color, your facial features, and your clothes? He knows, just by looking, that you are not a Bamar? Really? How do you know that?

 More asylum officer questions of the Burmese activist:

You say you attended meetings of your political party? what usually happened? Speaker #1 would complain about the evil dictator; Speaker #2 would agree; Speaker #3 also agreed? so everyone sits around and complains?

Did the people ever debate anything? should we have the next protest on a Friday, or is Saturday better? Protest in front of City Hall, or protest in the park? Use megaphones? use microphones?

Is there value if there is a place and space for people to come to, where they can share feelings? If you hear someone else complain about the same things as you do, then you feel better? you are more inclined to give money, to protest more, to invite more people to the next meeting?

How does your political party help people? If the party raises money, what happens next? where does the money go?

If someone went to a meeting, and recorded it on his cellphone, and then showed it to me, what would I see? what would I hear?

How would you make others aware of the protests?

At the end of your detention, how were you released? what was the conversation?

What would happen if  you arrived at the Yangon airport tomorrow? Why do you believe your government is still angry at you?

What happened, each time, as you exited from your country? what happened when you returned to your "dangerous" country? why weren't you arrested and beaten?

Did you ever give "material support" to a violent organization? you don't know what "material support" means, do you?

Is there anything else? Yes, there is? what?

 Asylum officer questions of an activist from Burma on

September 30, 2025:

Did anyone help you with your WRITTEN STATEMENT? how did he help you? You wrote it, he made it shorter?

Anything new to add today?

Earlier, you applied for a tourist visa when you were in Burma? did you tell the truth in that application? Did the application ask if you had ever been arrested? Did it ask when you planned to return to Burma, and you lied, and said you would return in 4 weeks?

At the U.S. Embassy, they asked you questions? You lied to the officer?

Can  you repeat page one of Form I-589 without looking at it? Does your passport show all of your international travel? Tell me all of your international travel! You went to Vietnam? And then you voluntarily returned to the "dangerous" country of Burma? You say Burma is dangerous, yes? But, you voluntarily returned there? What does RTDC mean? [Return To Dangerous Country]

Did your mother or father flee from Burma? Did any of your brothers and sisters flee? why?

Tell me in two sentences why you are applying for asylum! You answered in four words: "I fear my government.?" 

Did you suffer physical harm in Burma? how many times? when was the worst time? when was the first time? when was the last time? Today, are you still suffering in any way, concerning your physical injuries?

Did you receive threats? How many times? when was the first, worst, and last times? You say that every day is a threat, living in Burma? If the government makes a threat on television, do you consider that to be a personal threat to you?

You were in the tea house, and you saw some men in uniforms? what words were on the uniforms? what symbols? what weapons did they have? What was their ethnic group? Were any of them members of the Bamar group? What words did they say? Can you repeat the words of soldier #1? Can you repeat the words of soldier #2?

Where were you, at the moment of your arrest? why did they arrest you? You think they wanted to punish you? why do you think that?

Were you a member of a political party? What is the platform of that party? how did you learn about it? why did you join? did someone invite you? Did you do anything, as a member of this party? You sat in meetings, on a chair, in silence? Did you support this party in any way? Give money? Ask others to join? Attend ralllies? What would a cell phone record about you?

Your political opinion is very important to you? Why haven't you joined a party here in USA? have you done anything in USA to bring yourself to the attention of your government? why not?

Did the government make any threats on television? what is cit kyaw yay? Is it a slang term, for interrogation center? is it worse than prison?

What did you say at the protest in January 2025? what did you say at the meeting in February 2025? 

How did you learn about the protest? did someone phone you? send you an email?

Some of my questions may seem silly, but answer them anyway.