religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). To establish persecution on account of a political opinion, the asylum applicant must demonstrate “that the persecution arises from his own political opinion, actual or imputed.” Castro v. Holder, 597 F.3d 93, 100 (2d Cir.2010). Persecution on account of a political opinion is a ground for asylum when committed by the government or by private actors whose actions the government has proven unwilling or unable to control. See Pavlova v. INS, 441 F.3d 82, 91 (2d Cir.2006). Both this Court and the BIA recognize that opposition to corruption may contain a political dimension that constitutes a protected ground. See Yueqing Zhang v. Gonzales, 426 F.3d 540, 547-48 (2d Cir.2005) (<HOLDING>); Matter of N-M-, 25 I. & N. Dec. 526 (BIA
recognizing that purely personal retribution is of course not persecution on account of political opinion but holding that when the alleged government corruption is inextricably intertwined with governmental operation the exposure and prosecution of such an abuse of public trust is necessarily political holding that forced recruitment does not amount to persecution without a showing that it was on account of petitioners political opinion holding that persecution was on account of political opinion because petitioners prosecutorial investigation into acts of political corruption was by its very nature political holding that retaliation for opposition to government corruption can constitute persecution on account of a political opinion holding that attempted conscription by a guatemalan guerrilla group did not constitute persecution on account of a political opinion where petitioner failed to show that the group was motivated by his political opinion