T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he H on orabl e E dw ar d R . K orm an, S eni or U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ct ** J udge f orthe E a s t e rn D i s tr i c tof N e w Y ork, s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T A U N G K O - K O - S H A U N G , a . k. a . O ng K oK o, P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J r ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 08- 70624 A ge nc yN o. A 099- 631- 423 ME MOR AN DU M *

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the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d J a nua ry7, 2013 P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B e f o r e : W . F L E T C H E R a n d R A W L I N S O N , C ir c u it J u d g e s , a n d K O R M A N ,

S eni or D i stri ctJudg e. ** P e t i t i one rO ng K o K o i s a n or da i ne d B uddhi s tm onk a nd na t i ona l of M y a nm a r , f

orm e r l y know n a s B urm a . A c c or di ng t o hi s w r i tt e n appl i c a t i on a nd 

# FI LED MA R 29 2013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

or a l t e s t i m ony , he ha s be e n r e pe a t e dl yi m pr i s one d a nd t ortur e d bythe gove rnm e nt f orhi s m e m be r s hi p i n the N a t i ona l L e a gue f orD e m oc r a c y , apol i t i c a l or ga ni z a t i on oppos e d t o the r e gi m e i n pow e r . K o K o s t a t e d tha ti n 2006, f e a r i ng f orhi s l i f e , he fl ed t o T hai l and and then t o S i ng apore. A ft erse vera l m on ths, he w as abl e t o tra vel to M e x ic o a n d th e n a c r o s s th e b o r d e rto th e U n ite d S ta te s w h e r e h e im m e d ia te ly so u g h t asy lu m . A t K o K o ’s re m o v al h ea rin g , d es p it e n o ti n g th at K o K o ’s t e s t i m o n y tr a c k e d h i s wr i tt e n s t a t e m e n ta n d wa s q u i t e d e t a i l e d , th e I Jf o u n d Ko Ko no tcr edi bl e. IJordered K o K o rem ov ed t o M yanm ar . T he B IA af fi rm ed i n a bri ef opi ni on. W e r e vi e w the B I A ’ s de c i s i on tha tK o K o ha s f a i l e d t o m e e thi s bur de n of proo f f or as yl um , w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , or re l i ef un der C A T for s ub st ant i al e v id e n c e . Kam al

yan v. H older , 6 2 0 F .3 d 1 0 5 4 , 1 0 5 7 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) ; Sh restha v. H older , 5 9 0 F .3 d 1 0 3 4 , 1 0 3 9 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) ; B e llo u t v . A s h c r o ft , 363 F . 3d 975, 9 7 9 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) , supers eded by statut e on o ther groun ds as stat ed i n Kha n v. H older , 5 8 4 F .3 d 7 7 3 ( 9 th C ir .2 0 0 9 ) . W e r e v ie w th e I J ’s f in d in g s o f

f a c t, in c lu d in g c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n s , f o rs u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . R en v. H older , 648 F . 3d 10 79 , 10 83 (9th C i r. 20 11 ). W here , as here , the B IA ’ s opi ni on sugg es t s thati tdi d n otcond uctan in d e p e n d e n t r e v ie w o f

th e r e c o r d , w e lo o kto th e “I J ’s o r a l d e c is io n a s ag u id e to3

w hatl aybehi nd the B IA ’ s c on cl usi on . ” Shr e s tha , 5 9 0 F .3 d a t 1 0 3 9 , quot i ng Av e to v a - El is s e v a v . I

NS , 21 3 F . 3d 11 92 , 11 97 (9th C i r. 20 06 ). B ec ause K o K o fi l ed for a sy l um af t erM ay11 , 20 05 , the R E A L -I D A ct g o v e rn s h is c a s e . Se e Sr e s tha , 59 0 F . 3d at10 39 . U nd erthe R E A L ID A ct , the IJ m a y c ons i de ri nc ons i s t e nc i e s a nd om i s s i ons tha tdo notgo t o the he a rtof the appl i cant ’ s c l ai m . 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(b)(1)(B)(i i i ). T he IJ , ho w ever , m ayon l y bas e a c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i on on “ r e l e va ntf a c t or [ s ] tha t , c ons i de r e d i n l i ghtof the t ot a l i ty of

the c i r c um s t a nc e s , c a n r e a s onabl ybe s a i d t o ha ve a‘ be a r i ng on a pet i t i on er ’ s ver ac i ty. ’ ” R en , 648 F . 3d a t1084 ( quot i ng Shr e s tha , 59 0 F . 3d at 10 44 ). B o th th e I Ja n d th e B I A r e l i e d p r i m a r i l yo n a n a l l e g e d m i s s t a t e m e n ta tKo K o’ s bond- he a r i ng t o f

i nd K o K o notc r e di bl e . T hough the bond he a r i ng w a s not re po rt ed and there w er e no con t em po raneou s not es of the heari ng t aken, the IJ bel i eved thatK o K o h ad st at ed atthe heari ng thathe l ef tM yanm ari n 1 99 6, ra ther th a n 2 0 0 6 . A f t e rthe I J ’ s a nd B I A ’ s de c i s i ons w e r e f i l e d, w e de c i de d Jose

ph v. H older , 600 F . 3d 1235 ( 9th C i r . 2010) . I n J os e ph , w e grant ed the pet i t i on and rem anded w here an IJre l i ed on an al l eged m i ss t at em entm ade a ta bon d h eari ng because, i nt eral i a, the bo nd hear i ng w as no tre corded and thu s l ac ked the procedural4

s a f e g u a r d s o f

ar e m o v a l h e a r in g . I

d. a t1240- 43. A l though J os e ph i s ap r e - R E AL ID ca se , i ti s pert i nentautho ri ty i n d et erm i ni ng the w ei gh tand rel evance of f ac t ors th e I Jm a y c o n s id e rin p o s t- R E A L I D c a s e s . See 59 0 F . 3d at10 40 . A s not ed abov e, i n p ost -R E A L ID ca se s, an IJon l y m ayconsi der r e le v ant f a c t or s i n m a ki ng ac r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n . See R en , 648 F . 3d a t1084. A s ar e s ul tof

thi s i nt e rve ni ng pr e c e de nt , w e r e m a nd t o the B I A f or re consi dera t i on i n l i gh tof Jose ph v. H older , 6 0 0 F .3 d 1 2 3 5 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) . Pe t i t i o n G R A N TED a nd R EM A N D ED .K

o-K o S h au n g v. H

older , N o. 08- 70624 R aw l i n s on , C i r c u i t Ju d ge , c on c u r r i n g: I c o n c u rin th e r e m a n d f o rth e s o le p u rp o s e o f

a llo w in g th e a g e n c yto c ons i de rthe e f

f e c t , i f a ny , of ouri nt e rve ni ng de c i s i on i n Jose ph v. H older , 600 F . 3d 12 35 (9th C i r. 20 10 ). 

# FI LED MA R 29 2013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS