A Disciplined Dissident—Aung San Suu Kyi as Opposition Backbencher (2012–2016) Renaud Egreteau * Department of Asian and International Studies, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, HKSAR *Correspondence: r.egreteau@cityu.edu.hk This article investigates the legislative activity of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s iconic dissident, during her inaugural tenure as opposition MP in the country’s first post-junta parliament (2012–2016). How did such a totemic figure behave in a legislature dominated by an army-backed party and military-appointed MPs? What legislative tools did she use? The study draws evidence from Burmese-lan- guage proceedings of Myanmar’s Union legislature and field interviews. The find- ings point to a largely marginal, yet disciplined, involvement of Aung San Suu Kyi in legislative business. She neither acted as party whip nor openly criticised gov- ernment record or took disruptive action in the context of Myanmar’s ‘discipline- flourishing democracy’. Yet, she joined policy debates through the occasional motion, used her position as a catalyst for engaging the government and the world, and successfully marshalled her party to win the next two general elec- tions in 2015 and 2020. The findings have implications for understanding how the strategies of such near-mythical figure can explain subsequent electoral or political (mis)fortunes. Keywords: Aung San Suu Kyi, Backbench Behaviour, Dissident, Legislative Tools, Myanmar, Political Icon 1. Introduction There is no dearth of romanticised studies on iconic dissidents turned elected politicians. Individuals engaged in political dissent and the struggles against auto- cratic regimes often seek office after the breakdown of authoritarian rule or upon their release from prison. Many a well-regarded opposition leader has been dem- ocratically elected after lengthy periods in exile or jail. Figures no less legendary than Nelson Mandela, Va ´clav Havel or Lech Wale R sa have long symbolised the po- litical struggle against oppression, prejudice and inequality (Gilbert, 1998; # The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Hansard Society; all rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com Parliamentary Affairs (2021) 00, 1–18 doi:10.1093/pa/gsab037 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/pa/advance-article/doi/10.1093/pa/gsab037/6292234 by City University of Hong Kong Library user on 07 June 2021