Dissident democratic leaders are exceptional individuals who risk much trying to advance the cause of democracy in authoritarian regimes. This unique and intriguing book" "employs fine-grained studies of ten dissident leaders in Asia to show their vital role in democratic transformations. The vivid and dramatic accounts of their political struggles reveal how particular institutional, cultural, religious and ethnic conditions affect individual leaders. They also display the powerful challenges, dangers and temptations that dissidents face. One of the most important themes of the book is the way dissident leaders must learn to manage and negotiate the ambiguities and tensions of democratic leadership itself.