___________

No. 95-1326

___________

Chen Sang Sun, *

 *

Petitioner, *

 * Petition for Review of

v. * an Order of the Immigration

 * and Naturalization Service.

Immigration and Naturalization *

Service, * [UNPUBLISHED]

 *

Respondent, *

___________

 Submitted: January 26, 1996

 Filed: February 8, 1996

___________

Before BEAM, LOKEN, and MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

After Chen Sang Sun, a citizen of China, entered the United

States in 1993 without inspection by an immigration officer, the

Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) ordered Sun to show

cause why he should not be deported. Sun conceded deportability,

but applied for asylum. An Immigration Judge (IJ) denied relief,

and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) dismissed Sun's appeal

of the IJ's denial of relief. Sun now petitions for review.

Reviewing the BIA's factual findings underlying its refusal to

grant asylum under the substantial-evidence standard, see HajianiNiroumand v. INS, 26 F.3d 832, 838 (8th Cir. 1994), we deny Sun's

petition. 

The Attorney General has discretion to grant asylum to a

"refugee." 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a). A refugee is an alien who is

unwilling to return home because of "persecution or a well-founded
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fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality,

membership in a particular social group, or political opinion."

8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). Sun contended that his family was a

social group that had been mistreated because of its poverty and

resistance to government authority, and that he would be persecuted

if returned to China based on his membership in the Sun family, his

newly-acquired Christian faith, and his violation of Chinese exit

laws. 

Sun presented evidence that one of his uncles had had trouble

with Chinese authorities in 1990 or 1991 following the uncle's

refusal to repay his partners' shares of a government loan, which

culminated in a physical confrontation at the uncle's house during

which government officials and others beat the uncle. Sun and his

brother, who were nearby, intervened and were beaten as well. Sun

was required to pay a fine, and testified that government officials

thereafter would beat him if they recognized him on the street. 

Sun testified as to the following additional incidents

involving family members. Before Sun was born, another uncle was

selected by the government to work in the mines, and was unable to

afford a bribe to avoid the work. In 1981, one of Sun's other

brothers and several of his friends were convicted and sentenced

for robbery following a physical fight with government officials

who had refused to sell some beer they were carrying. After his

release from prison, this brother was unable to pay a bribe to

government officials to obtain papers he needed to legalize a

relationship with a female companion, and subsequently left for

Taiwan in a small boat.

 We agree with the BIA that Sun has not shown any connection

between the events he and his family experienced and any of the

statutory bases for asylum. See Ghasemimehr v. INS, 7 F.3d 1389,

1390 (8th Cir. 1993) (per curiam) (alien seeking asylum must show

persecution or feared persecution is based on one of five grounds
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listed in § 1101(a)(42)(A)). As to Sun's alleged fear of future

persecution, he had to show that his fear was both "subjectively

genuine and objectively reasonable." See id. To overcome the

BIA's finding that Sun lacked such a well-founded fear, Sun must

show his evidence "`was so compelling that no reasonable factfinder

could fail to find the requisite fear of persecution.'" Id.

(quoting INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483-84 (1992)). 

Having reviewed the evidence, we conclude a reasonable

factfinder could find Sun's fear of persecution was not objectively

reasonable. As the BIA noted, Sun conceded he did not belong to

any political organization in China, and presented no evidence that

he or his family openly expressed any political opinion in China

contrary to the government. He also failed to show that he will be

subjected to greater penalties for violation of Chinese exit laws

than other similarly-situated Chinese nationals. See Behzadpour v.

United States, 946 F.2d 1351, 1353 (8th Cir. 1991). We also agree

with the BIA that Sun did not show his alleged fear of religious

persecution was sufficiently objective. Because we conclude that

substantial evidence supports the denial of Sun's request for

asylum, we also affirm the BIA's withholding of deportation. See

id. at 1354 (when an applicant is not eligible for asylum, the

applicant is necessarily not entitled to have deportation

withheld).

Accordingly, we deny Sun's petition.

A true copy.

Attest:

CLERK, U. S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.