Nunu Sung: Should She Regain Custody?

I have an update on Nunu Sung, 26, the refugee from Myanmar who abandoned her child. She is still in jail for lying to police about the incident, but will soon be paroled. You can read the article for the full details, but I have some thoughts.

From reading this article I found out that Sung actually hid child behind some bushes. She claims that she did not want anything bad to happen to the child, but her actions demonstrate otherwise. Hiding the baby makes it seem like she did not want him to be found. I do understand that she was scared and an unwed mother in her native country faces much scorn, but I do not think she can use this as an excuse. Many refugees come to the United States because we are a free and relatively open-minded country. She surely knew that there were others options for the child besides abandoning him by a garage behind a bush. On top of this, she faces deportation when she gets out of jail.

Unfortunately, I have to lean towards denying her petition for custody. Due to the circumstances surrounding her decision to abandon her child, as well as the fact that her own future in this country is in jeopardy, the child seems to be better off where he is. If you have other thoughts, we would love to hear them!