Why There is More International Sympathy For Alexei Navalny Than Aung San Suu Kyi

Yesterday, Russia's top opposition figure Alexei Navalny was sentenced to two years and eight months in a penal colony on an array of trumped up charges in a show trial. 

Meanwhile, nearly 4,000 miles away in Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi may soon return to prison facing up to two years for owning walkie-talkies only days after a military coup reminiscent of the one which took place more than 30 years ago when she was first elected to power. Last November, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was overwhelmingly elected to office only for the military to thwart civilian rule yet again.

While both acts are injustices I strongly suspect that Navalny will ilicit far more international sympathy than Suu Kyi and for good reason. Since 2016, Suu Kyi has ruled in conjunction with the military regime as the country's First Counsellor defended the regime against allegations of genocide against the country's Rohingya Muslims and has supported imprisoning journalists who exposed the brutality. Although an injustice has committed against Suu Kyi there is every reason to believe Suu Kyi would have behaved the same if she had been in the position to do so. Whether power has corrupted her or if she was a phony dissident, Suu Kyi has had a huge fall from grace and redemption is highly unlikely.

Of course, Navalny has never been a Russian government official. Indeed, he survived an assassination by poisoning last summer by the Russian regime and, when he could have remained in exile in Germany, he chose to return to Russia last month knowing full well he would be arrested and jailed upon his arrival. Navalny might very well be the bravest man in the whole world. 

Yet for all of Navalny's bravery I cannot help but wonder if he would behave any differently than Vladimir Putin if he became President of Russia. Navalny has long been known as a nationalist in his political orientation. Would Navalny be any more tolerant of dissent than Putin? Would he oversee a genocide of Chechen Muslims? Would Navalny sanction the imprisonment and, dare I say, poisoning of any journalist or dissident who would dare cross him?

This does not diminish my sympathy for Navalny. He has been wronged and so have the Russian people. There is always the possibility my misgivings might be misplaced. Navalny could have the benevolence of a Nelson Mandela.

Whether it owes to age, weariness or a recognition of the imperfectability of human nature, should Alexei Navalny one day become President of Russia there is a very good chance he could become corrupted by power or might have been yet another phony dissident just like Aung San Suu Kyi.