FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Jul y 10, 2007 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL 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. 06- 16433 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N o. A 97- 833- 137 P A U T H A W N M U 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

_________________________ ( Ju l y 10, 2007) B efo re B L A C K , M A R C U S an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: P au T haw n M un g, a C hri st i an C hi n w ho i s anat i ve and ci t i ze n o f B urm a,2

pe t i t i ons thi s C ourtf

orr e vi e w of

the f i na l or de rof

the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s tha ta f

f i rm e d the de c i s i on of

a n I m m i gr a t i on J udge t o de ny hi s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , 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 ortur e . M ung c ont e nds tha the i s e nt i t l e d t o r e l i e f be c aus e he h a s aw e ll- f

o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n o n th e b a s is o f h is r a c e a n d r e lig io n . B ec ause the re cord do es no tcom pel the concl usi on thatM un g h as a w el l -f ou nd ed f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n , w e d e n y th e p e titio n . I . B AC KG RO UN D M un g ent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es on A pri l 11 , 20 04 , w i tho uta val i d entry d o c u m e n t. T h e D e p a rtm e n t o f H o m e la n d S e c u r itys e rv e d M u n g w ith an o tic e to ap p e a r , c h a r g i n g h i m a s s u b j e c tt o r e mo v a l . M u n g f i l e d a n ap p l i c a t i o n f

o ra s y l u m, w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , and C A T re l i ef base d o n rac e, re l i gi on , and i m pu t ed pol i t i c a l opi ni on. I n hi s appl i c a t i on, M ung s t a t e d tha the w a s am e m be rof the C hi n ethn i c group and the H arvest erC hri st i an C ent er , a P ent ec ost al church w here hi s f ather i s achurch deacon. M un g st at ed thathe w as a vol un t ee r y ou th l ea der a t th e H a rv e s te rC h r is tia n C e n te rf r o m 1 9 9 8 to 2 0 0 3 . M ung s t a t e d i n both hi s appl i c a t i on a nd a thi s r e m ova l he a r i ng tha t , on D e c e m be r24, 2002, he w a s a rr e s t e d by B urm e s e s ol di e r s w hi l e l e a di ng a C hri stm as “ youth cel ebra t i on ” i n a pu bl i c park. M un g t es t i fi ed thathe w as bl i ndf ol de d a nd t a ke n t o a n a rm y c a m p w he r e he w a s i nt e rr oga t e d, be a t e n f or303

m i nut e s , a nd a c c us e d of be i ng am e m be rof

as tude ntuni on or ga ni z a t i on. M ung t e s t i f i e d tha the w a s nott ol d w hy he w a s a rr e s t e d. B e f or e he w a s r e l e a s e d, M ung w as forc ed t o si gn a s t at em entprom i si ng no tt o b e i nv ol ved w i th p ol i t i ca l ac t i vi t i es . In hi s app l i ca t i on for a sy l um , M un g st at ed thataf t erhi s arr es t , he w as “u n d e raf

o rm o f h o u s e a rr e s t” a n d w a s b a n n e d f r o m tr a v e lin g f

o rth r e e m o n th s . M u n g s t a t e d i n h i s ap p l i c a t i o n a n d a th i s r e mo v a l h e a r i n g th a th e l e f tBu rma i n Jun e 200 3, af

t erre po rt s thathi s pho t o w as foun d atthe ho m e of hi s f ri end, Z aw M in T h a n g , as tu d e n t u n io n o r g a n iz e rw h o w a s a rr e s te d f o rh is in v o lv e m e n t w ith th e s tu d e n t u n io n . M u n g te s tif ie d th a t s in c e h is d e p a rtu r e f r o m B u rm a , h is f

a m ily m e m b e r s a r e r e q u i r e d t o r e p o rtt o th e m i l i t a ry g o v e rn m e n twh e n th e y tr a v e l . He s t a t e d tha the f

e a r e d tha ti f

he r e turne d t o B urm a , he w oul d be i m pr i s one d a nd t ortur e d be c aus e he w a s a n e thni c m i nor i ty a nd aC hr i s t i a n a nd tha the w oul d be s a f e n o w h e r e in B u rm a . T he I Jde ni e d M ung’ s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a nd C A T r e l i e f

be c aus e the r e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nte vi de nc e t o s upportaf e a rof pe r s e c ut i on by the B urm es e gov ernm enton ac coun tof M un g’ s r ac e, re l i gi on , or i m pu t ed pol i t i c a l opi ni on. T he I Jc onc l ude d tha tthe r e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nte vi de nc e tha tthe g o v e rn m e n t im p u te d ap o litic a l o p in io n to M u n g b a s e d o n h is f r ie n d s h ip w ith T h an g . T h e IJ fo u n d th atth ere w as n o ev i d en ce th atM u n g su ffered p ast p ersecu t i o n o n acco u n to f h i s rel i g i o n an d co n cl u d ed th atM u n g fai l ed t o est ab l i sh4

aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on i n the l i ghtof the c ont i nue d a nd u n ev en t fu l serv i ce o f h i s fath er as a ch u rch d eaco n . T h e IJ reaso n ed th atb ecau se the e ve nt s aboutw hi c h M ung c om pl a i ns a l l oc c urr e d i n the s a m e r e gi on, M ung f a ile d to e s tab lis h c o u n try - w id e p e r s e c u tio n . O n appe a l , the B I A a dopt e d a nd a f f i rm e d the de c i s i on of

the I J . I n a ddi t i on, the B I A f

ound tha tM ung’ s de s c r i pt i on of hi s de t e nt i on w a s c r e di bl e , buttha tthe s i ngl e de t e nt i on w i thouts e r i ous i nj ury di d notr i s e t o the l e ve l of pe r s e c ut i on. T he B I A de t e rm i ne d tha tthe B urm e s e author i t i e s de t a i ne d M ung be c aus e the y thought th a t th e C h r is tia n c e le b r a tio n w a s ap o litic a l g a th e r in g a n d a f te rth e y d e te rm in e d it w a s notpol i t i c a l , M ung w a s r e l e a s e d. T he B I A f ound tha tM ung’ s t e s t i m ony aboutthe a rr e s tof

T ha ng w a s t oo va gue t o s upportaw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof p e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f ap r o te c te d g r o u n d . I I . STA N D A R D S O F R EVI EW W e r e v ie w o n lyth e d e c is io n o f th e B I A , e x c e p t to th e e x te n t th a t it e x p r e s s ly a d o p ts th e o p in io n o f

th e I J . S e e A l N a

jja rv . A s h c r o f

t, 2 5 7 F .3 d 1 2 6 2 , 1 2 8 4 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 01 ). W e r evi ew fa ctual det erm i nat i on s of the B IA un der the subst ant i al evi dence t es t . S epul veda v. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 40 1 F . 3d 12 26 , 12 30 (11th C i r. 2005) . “ U nde rthi s hi ghl y de f e r e nt i a l s t a nda r d of

r e vi e w , the I J ’ s de c i s i on c a n be re vers ed on l y i f the evi dence ‘ com pel s’ a r ea sonabl e f ac tfi nd ert o fi nd otherw i se . ” I d .; s e e I N S v . E lia s - Z a c a r ia s , 5 0 2 U .S . 4 7 8 , 4 8 1 n .1 , 1 1 2 S . C t. 8 1 2 , 8 1 5 n .15

(199 2); A defe m i v. A shcr oft , 38 6 F . 3d 10 22 , 10 27 (11th C i r. 20 04 ). W e r evi ew o u rs u b je c t m a tte rju r is d ic tio n d e n o v o . S e e G o n z a le z - O r o p e z av . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 3 2 1 F .3 d 1 3 3 1 , 1 3 3 2 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . I I I . DI S CUS S I ON O ur re vi ew i n thi s app ea l i s l i m i t ed t o the i ss ue of w hether s ub st ant i al e vi de nc e s upport s the c onc l us i on of the B I A a nd I Jtha tM ung di d note s t abl i s h a w e ll- f o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n o n th e b a s is o f h is r e lig io n o rr a c e . I n h is br i e f on appe a l , M ung doe s notc ha l l e nge the de t e rm i na t i on of the I Jtha the i s not ent i t l ed t o w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al or C A T re l i ef , so tho se ar gu m ent s are abando ned. M endo zav. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 32 7 F . 3d 12 83 , 12 86 n. 3 (11 th C i r. 2003) . B e c aus e M ung l i m i t s the ba s i s of hi s a r gum e ntf

ora s y l um t o f

e a rof pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof hi s r a c e a nd r e l i gi on, hi s c l a i m of f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on on ac coun tof an i m pu t ed po l i t i ca l op i ni on i s a l so abando ned. Id. W e l ac k j uri sdi ct i on t o con si der M un g’ s argum entabou tpastpers ec ut i on because he f ai l ed to p r e s e n t th a t a r g u m e n t to th e B I A . S e e A m a y a - A rtu n d u a g av . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 4 6 3 F .3 d 1 2 4 7 , 1 2 5 0 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) . T h e d e te rm in a tio n o f

th e B I A a n d I Jth a t M u n g f a ile d to e s tab lis h aw e llf o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f h is r a c e o rr e lig io n if

h e r e tu rn s to B urm a i s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. T here i s s ub st ant i al evi dence that M un g w i l l no tbe pers ec ut ed base d o n h i s r el i gi on , because M un g’ s f ather6

c o n tin u e s to s e rv e a s ad e a c o n in h is c h u r c h in B u rm aw ith o u t p r o b le m . Su b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e a l s o s u p p o rt s th e f i n d i n g o f th e BI A th a t , a l th o u g h th e a rmy det ai ned M un g for on e ni gh t , w hen i tdet erm i ned thatthe re l i gi ou s c el ebra t i on at w h ic h h e w a s a rr e s te d w a s n o t ap o litic a l g a th e r in g , M u n g w a s r e le a s e d . T h e r e is a ls o n o e v id e n c e th a t M u n g w a s a rr e s te d o n D e c e m b e r2 4 , 2 0 0 2 , b e c au s e o f h is ra ce or thathe has any re as on t o b el i eve thathe w i l l be si ng l ed ou tand p er se cut ed on a c c ountof

hi s r a c e i f

he w e r e t o r e turn t o B urm a . B e c aus e the r e c or d doe s not c om pe l the c onc l us i on tha tM ung ha s aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on on a c c o u n t o f

h is r e lig io n o rr a c e , w e a f f irm th e d e c is io n s o f

th e B I A a n d I J . I V . CONCL US I ON M u n g ’s p e titio n f

o rr e v ie w is DE NI E D.