### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T Novem be r 8, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN C L E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 11358 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N o. A 78- 854- 120 N E N G K A O Z H A N G , P e titio n e r , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( N ove m b e r 8, 2005) B efo re C A RN E S , H U L L an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: N e ngka o Z ha ng, ana t i ve a nd c i t i z e n of C hi na , pe t i t i ons f

orr e vi e w of

the B oa r d of I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ f i na l or de ra f

f i rm i ng, w i thoutopi ni on, theBe causeproce eding s commence d after April 1997, the permanent provisions of the 1 I NA, as a mended by

the Illeg al Immigration Reform and Immigra nt Responsibil ity

Act of 1996, Pub. L . No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 (1996), g overn this petition. 2 i m m i gr a t i on j udge ’ s de ni a l of a s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a t i ona l i ty A c t( “ I N A ” ) , a nd r e l i e f unde rthe U ni t e d N a t i ons C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT or tur e ( “ C A T ” ) . W e de ny hi s pe t i t i on. 1 I. I n D e c e m b e r2 0 0 1 , Z h a n g , th e n n in e te e n y e a r s o ld , ille g a lly e n te r e d th is c ountry i n C hi c a go, I l l i noi s , us i ng ac ount e r f e i tpa s s por t . H e f

i l e d a n a s y l um appl i ca t i on i n N ov em ber 200 2 and w as subsequent l y i ss ued a no t i ce t o app ea r c ha r gi ng hi m w i th r e m ovabi l i ty . Z ha ng c onc e de d r e m ovabi l i ty buts oughta s y l um ba s e d on hi s f

e a rof pe r s e c ut i on i f

he r e turne d t o C hi nabe c aus e of hi s pr a c t i c e of F al u n G o n g , a sp i ri tu al an d p h i l o so p h i cal m o v em en tb an n ed b y th e C h i n ese gove rnm e nts i nc e J ul y 1999. A he a r i ng be f or e the I J w a s he l d i n S e pt e m be r2003. I n hi s a s y l um appl i c a t i on a nd t e s t i m ony be f or e the I J , Z ha ng s t a t e d tha the b e g a n p r a c tic in g F a lu n G o n g in M a r c h 1 9 9 9 w h ile a tte n d in g a c c o u n tin g s c h o o l. A f t e rthe gove rnm e nt ’ s ba n, the s c hool pr ohi bi t e d i t s t e a c he r s a nd s tude nt s f r om pr a c t i c i ng F a l un G ong a nd f r om a tt e ndi ng F a l un G ong de m ons tr a t i ons a nd a s s e m bl i e s . I n S e pt e m be r1999, the s c hool s us pe nde d Z ha ng f orpr a c t i c i ng F a l un G ong a nd thr e a t e ne d hi m w i th di s m i s s a l i f he c ont i nue d t o pr a c t i c e , w hi c h he s e c r e t l y di d.3

A f te rg r a d u a tin g f

r o m a c c o u n tin g s c h o o l in J u n e 2 0 0 0 , Z h a n g ap p a r e n tly j oi ne d ac om put e rc om pa ny a nd be ga n l e a di ng F a l un G ong s e s s i ons w i th f ourc ow orkers aton e c o-w orker’ s hou se . A ton e s es si on , ac cordi ng t o Z hang , po l i ce s urr ounde d the hous e a nd a rr e s t e d Z ha ng’ s c o- w orke r s , one of w hom c a l l e d Z ha ng athi s hom e a nd t ol d h i m no tt o com e there . Z hang t es t i fi ed thatthe po l i ce m ay ha ve be e n l ooki ng f

orhi m be c aus e he w a s on al i s tof F a l un G ong pr a c t i t i one r s a nd w as l ea der of the grou p. Z hang st at ed thathe bel i eved hi s c o-w orkers w er e coer ce d i nt o si gn i ng l ett er s prom i si ng no tt o p ra ct i ce F al un G on g i n the future. In A ugus t2001, the c om put e rc om pa ny f i r e d Z ha ng f

ora tt e ndi ng F a l un G ong p r a c tic e s a n d a s s e m b lie s . S u b s e q u e n tly , th e lo c a l au th o r itie s is s u e d as u b p o e n ato Z ha ng r e qui r i ng hi m t o appe a rbe f or e the m on O c t obe r11, 2001. I ns t e a d, Z ha ng w e n t in to h id in g f

o rtw o m o n th s a n d th e n f le d C h in aa lto g e th e r . A l tho ug h fi nd i ng Z hang cr edi bl e on m ostpo i nt s, the IJdet erm i ned that Z hang fa i l ed t o est abl i sh ei ther pas tpers ec ut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pe r s e c ut i on. T he I J f

ound tha tZ ha ng ha d notde m ons tr a t e d pa s tpe r s e c ut i on be c aus e Z ha ng w a s ne ve ra rr e s t e d orde t a i ne d be c aus e of F a l un G ong a nd nothi ng i n the s ubpoe nai t s e l f

i ndi c a t e d tha ti tw a s i s s ue d be c aus e of hi s F a l un G ong ac t i vi t i es . T he IJdet erm i ned thatthe on l y e vi dence s up po rt i ng a f ea r of f uture p ersecu t i o n i s Z h an g ’ s fear th at“ h e w i l l b e arrested if he return s t o C h i n a b ecau se of hi s F al un G on g p ra ct i ce and the fa ctthathi s group w as ra i ded abo ut2 1 / 2 yea rs4

ago. ” T he IJfoun d thi s e vi dence unp er suas i ve i n l i gh tof the backgrou nd evi dence tha ts how e d tha tthe C hi ne s e gove rnm e ntw a s pr i m a r i l y s e e ki ng the l e a de r s of the e nt i r e F a l un G ong m ove m e nta nd tha tthe a rr e s t s w e r e done a tl a r ge de m ons tr a t i ons , w hi c h Z ha ng s t a t e d he ne ve ra tt e nde d. T he I J not e d tha tZ ha ng,

“ by hi s ow n t e s t i m ony i ndi c a t e s tha the w a s ave ry , ve ry , ve ry [ ] s m a l l f i s h i n the Fa l u n G o n g mo v e me n t . ” I n c o n c l u s i o n , th e I J s t a t e d th a t“ [ i ] th a r d l y s e e ms r e a s o n ab le a n d b e lie v ab le th a t th e G o v e rn m e n t o f C h in ah a s a n y in te r e s t in as m a ll t i m e l ea der i n a grou p o f f ou r other peopl e a ft er2 1 / 2 yea rs . ” A cc ordi ng l y, the IJ deni ed Z hang ’ s app l i ca t i on for a sy l um and o ther r el i ef . II.

“ W he n the B I A s um m a r i l y a f f i rm s the I J ' s de c i s i on w i thouta n opi ni on, the I J ' s de c i s i on be c om e s the f i na l r e m ova l or de rs ubj e c tt o r e vi e w . ” S e pul ve dav. U . S . A tt orne y G e n. , 401 F . 3d 1226, 1230 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . “ T he I J ’ s f i ndi ngs of factare rev i ew ed u n d er th e su b st an t i al ev i d en ce t est , an d w e ‘ m u staffi rm th e [IJ’ s] de c i s i on i f

i ti s s uppor t e d by r e a s onabl e , s ubs t a nt i a l , a nd pr oba t i ve e vi de nc e on the r e c or d c ons i de r e d a s aw hol e . ’ ” I d. ( quot i ng A l N a jj a rv. A s hc r of

t , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1 2 8 4 (1 1 th C ir. 2 0 0 1 )) . “ U n d erth is h ig h ly d ef er en ti al stan d ar d o f r ev iew , th e I J’s d e c is io n c a n b e r e v e r s e d o n ly if th e e v id e n c e ‘c o m p e ls ’ ar e a s o n ab le f a c t f in d e rto fi nd otherw i se . ” I d. (c i t at i on s om i tt ed). T o b e el i g i b l e fo r asyl u m , an ap p l i can tm u stfi rstd em o n strat e th ath e i s aAmendments to this section by § 101(a) (3) of

The REAL

ID Act of

2005, Pub. L . 109- 2 13, 119 Stat. 231, 303, do not apply to this petit ion beca

use the final order in this ca se wa s entered in September

2003, before § 101(a)(3) took effe ct in May 2005. See TheREALID Act § 101(h)( 2), 119 Stat. at 305. 5 refu g ee. 8 U . S . C . § 1 1 5 8 (b )(1 ). T h e IN A d efi n es “ refu g ee” as fo l l o w s: 2 [ A ]n y p e r s o n w h o is o u ts id e a n y c o u n try o f s u c h p e r s o n 's nat i on al i ty . . . and w ho i s unabl e or unw i l l i ng t o return to , a n d is u n ab le o ru n w illin g to a v a il h im s e lf o rh e r s e lf of the pr ot e c t i on of

, tha tc ountry be c aus e of pe r s e c ut i on or a w el l -f

ou nd ed fe arof pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof ra ce , re l i gi on , nat i on al i ty, m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al g r o u p , o rp o litic a l o p in io n . . . . I d. § 1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) . T o e s t abl i s h tha the i s ar e f uge e , a n appl i c a ntf

ora s y l um m u stp resen tsp eci fi c an d cred i b l e ev i d en ce th ath e h as ex p eri en ced p ast p e r s e c u t i o n o rth a th e h a s aw e l l - f o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u t i o n . Se e 8 C. F. R. § 208. 13( b) ( 1) –( 2) ; A l N a jj a r , 257 F . 3d a t1287. Z h a n g d o e s n o t c o n te n d th a t th e I J e rr e d in f in d in g th a t h e f

a ile d to de m ons tr a t e pa s tpe r s e c ut i on. T he r e f or e , Z ha ng ha s w a i ve d a ny c l a i m f ora s y l um base d o n p as tpers ec ut i on . S ee H art sf i el d v . L em ac ks, 50 F . 3d 95 0, 95 3 (11 th C i r. 19 95 ); A l l st at e I ns. C o. v. S w ann, 27 F . 3d 15 39 , 15 42 (11th C i r. 19 94 ) ( “ Is sues thatcl ea rl y a re no tdesi gn at ed i n the i ni t i al bri ef ordi nari l y a re consi dere d abando ned. ”) . Z h a n g d o e s c o n te n d th a t th e I J e rr e d b y f a ilin g to c o n s id e rc e r ta in backgrou nd m at er i al s thatcorr ob orat e hi s f ea r of f uture pers ec ut i on i f he i s f orce dThe 2002 State Department Country Report on China is not included in the rec ord; 3 there fore , we c annot properly consider it. See 8 U .S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(A).

6 t o r e turn t o C hi na . S pe c i f i c a l l y , Z ha ng poi nt s t o the U ni t e d K i ngdom I m m i gr a t i on and N at i on al i ty D i re ct orat e 200 2 C hi na C ou ntryA ss es sm entand a 20 02 U ni t ed S t a t e s S t a t e D e pa r tm e ntC ountry R e por ton H um a n R i ght s a nd C ountry C ondi t i ons o n C h i n a. T h e 2 0 0 2 U . K . C h i n a C o u n try A ssessm en tst at es th atth e C h i n ese

3 gove rnm e ntha s br a nde d F a l un G ong a s a n i l l e ga l c ul ta nd t e rr or i s tor ga ni z a t i on a nd tha ti tf

r e que nt l y de t a i ns F a l un G ong pr a c t i t i one r s w i thouttr i a l , i m pr i s ons the m , a nd s ubj e c t s the m t o t or tur e . T he r e f or e , Z ha ng a r gue s , “ ar e a s onabl e pe r s on lik e Z h a n g w h o p r a c tic e s F a lu n G o n g w o u ld f e a rr e tu rn in g to C h in a .” Z ha ng a l s o c ont e nds tha tthe I J f a i l e d t o c ons i de rc e r t a i n e vi de nc e i n the r e c o r d s u p p o r tin g h is f

e a r , in c lu d in g th e n o tic e f r o m h is s c h o o l p r o h ib itin g its t ea cher s a nd stud ent s f

rom prac t i ci ng F al un G on g, the sc ho ol suspensi on no t i ce i ss ued t o Z hang , the subp oena i ss ued b y the po l i ce for Z hang , and the tw o l ett er s fr o m Z h an g ’s m o th erre co u n ti n g p o li ce in q u iries o f th em as to Z h an g ’s w he r e about s a nd the i rc l a i m t o ha ve gone i nt o hi di ng t o a voi d the pol i c e . Z ha ng a r g u e s th a t th e I J e rr e d in its a s s e s s m e n t o f th e s u b p o e n ab e c au s e “it is lo g ic a l to p resu m e, b ased o n th e ci rcu m st an ces as w el l as th e su b seq u en tatt em p t s t o arrest Z hang , thathe w as w ant ed because he w as a F al un G on g p ra ct i t i on er ” a nd that there w as no evi dence i nd i ca t i ng thathe w as w ant ed “ for a ny other r ea son. ”7

F i na l l y , Z ha ng a s s e r t s tha tthe I J ’ s pr e s um pt i on tha tthe C hi ne s e gove rnm e nt w ou l d n o l on ger be i nt er es t ed i n arr es t i ng Z hang because of the tw o-and-on e- hal fyear t i m e l ap se si n ce th e su b p o en a w as i ssu ed i s w i th o u tb asi s. F o rtw o r e a s o n s , th e e v id e n c e th a t Z h a n g p o in ts to d o e s n o t c o m p e l u s to r e ve r s e the I J a nd f

i nd tha tZ ha ng ha s aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rtha the w i l l be pe r s e c ut e d i n C hi na . F i r s t , w e a gr e e w i th the I J ’ s a na l y s i s of the e vi de nc e , the th ru s t o f w h ic h is th a t Z h a n g ’s f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n in C h in ais n o t w e llf o u n d e d . T o h a v e a“w e ll- f o u n d e d f e a r ,” “a n ap p lic a n t m u s t d e m o n s tr a te th a t h is o rh e rf e a ro f p e r s e c u t i o n i s s u b

j e c t i v e l y g e n u i n e a n d o b j e c t i v e l y r e a s o n ab l e . ” Al N ajj ar , 25 7 F . 3d at12 89 . W hi l e Z hang ’ s c re di bl e t es t i m on y i s s uffi ci entt o m ee t th e s u b je c tiv e c o m p o n e n t, s e e id ., th e e v id e n c e d o e s n o t s u p p o r t af in d in g th a t h is f e a ri s obj e c t i ve l y r e a s onabl e . S i m pl y put , the r e i s no e vi de nc e tha tthe gove rnm e nti nt e nds t o i nc a r c e r a t e a nd/ orpuni s h Z ha ng. Z ha ng’ s c onc e rns about w hatm i gh thapp en w hen h e r eturns t o C hi na ar e s pecul at i ve because , as the IJ poi nt e d out , the s ubpoe nadoe s note xpl a i n w hy the pol i c e a r e i nt e r e s t e d i n Z ha ng a nd the pol i c e ne ve rtr a c ke d Z ha ng dow n a f t e rthe y r a i de d the F a l un G ong s e s s i on a thi s c o- w orke r ’ s hous e . A l though the l e tt e r s f r om Z ha ng’ s m othe ri n 2002 i ndi c a t e tha tthe C hi ne s e author i t i e s ha d be e n l ooki ng f orZ ha ng, the r e w a s no m o r e r e c e n t e v id e n c e th a t w h a te v e rin te r e s t th e au th o r itie s h a d in Z h a n g w o u ld o u tla s t h is n o w f

o u r - y e a rab s e n c e f

r o m C h in a . S e e S e p u lv e d a , 4 0 1 F .3 d a t 1 2 3 2 .8

S e c o n d , th e r e is n o e v id e n c e th a t w h a te v e ra w a its Z h a n g in C h in aw ill r is e to the l e ve l of

pe r s e c ut i on. “ A l though the I N A doe s note xpr e s s l y de f i ne

‘ pers ec ut i on ’ for purpo se s of qual i fy i ng as a ‘ re fugee, ’ . . . w e have di sc usse d o ther c i r c ui t s ’ hol di ngs tha t‘ pe r s e c ut i on’ i s a n ‘ e xtr e m e c onc e pt , ’ r e qui r i ng ‘ m or e tha n a fe w i sol at ed i nci dent s of verbal hara ss m entor i nt i m i dat i on , ’ and that‘ [m ] er e ha r a s s m e ntdoe s nota m ountt o pe r s e c ut i on. ’ ” I d. a t1231 ( c i t i ng G onz a l e z v. R e no, 212 F . 3d 1338, 1355 ( 11th C i r . 2000) ( c i t a t i ons om i tt e d) ) . I n G ha l y v. I N S , 58 F .3 d 1 4 2 5 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 5 ) , ac a s e c ite d b y th is C o u r t in G o n z a le z , th e N in th C ir c u it e xpl a i ne d tha tpe r s e c ut i on i s “ the i nf l i c t i on of s uf f e r i ng orha rm upon thos e w ho d if f e r( in r a c e , r e lig io n o rp o litic a l o p in io n ) in aw a y r e g a r d e d a s o f f e n s iv e .” I n th is c a s e , the onl y e vi de nc e tha tZ ha ng w i l l be s ubj e c t e d t o a ny “ e xtr e m e ” or “o f f e n s iv e ” tr e a tm e n t is th a t th e C h in e s e g o v e rn m e n t is in te r e s te d in ta lk in g to h im a nd tha tthe y m a y ha ve i de nt i f i e d hi m a s aF a l un G ong pr a c t i t i one r . G i ve n the ev i d en ce th atZ h an g ’ s co -w o rk ers w ere ev en tu al l y rel eased an d th atth e C h i n ese gove rnm e nti s pr i m a r i l y i nt e r e s t e d i n a rr e s t i ng F a l un G ong a dhe r e nt s w ho, unl i ke Z hang , part i ci pat e i n p ub l i c prot es t s or dem on stra t i on s, i ti s m er e c on j ec ture that the C hi ne s e gove rnm e ntw i l l tr e a tZ ha ng i n aw a y tha tr i s e s t o pe r s e c ut i on. T he r e f or e , the I J ’ s f

i ndi ng tha tZ ha ng doe s notha ve aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof p ersecu t i o n i f retu rn ed t o C h i n a i s su p p o rt edb y su b st an t i al ev i d en ce. A cco rd i n g l y, w e a f f irm th e I J ’s h o ld in g th a t Z h a n g is n o t e lig ib le f o ra s y lu m .9 III. Z ha ng’ s c l a i m s f

orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l a nd C A T r e l i e f a r e s ubj e c tt o a m or e s tr i nge nts t a nda r d tha n the s t a nda r d f orgr a nt i ng a s y l um . S e e A l N a jj a r , 257 F . 3d a t1292–93, 1303–04. A c c or di ngl y , be c aus e w e a f f i rm the B I A ’ s c onc l us i on tha tZ ha ng f

a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on i n or de rt o be e n t i t l e d t o a s y l u m , we a l s o a f f i rm th e d e n i a l o f

wi th h o l d i n g o f

r e m o v a l a n d C AT re l i ef . P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.