bolster its digital control while maintaining a veneer of progress and national improvement. In September 2022, the Ministry of Transport and Communications publicly announced the completion of digitization and registration of 52 million people using ‘e-ID Biographic Registration Software’ technology, forming a national database. This public declaration of a national database can be framed as a step towards digital development and efficient data management; especially when combined with its prior requirement on mandatory sim card registration that began in 2016 (The Arakan Express News 2022). The 'e-ID' project gained more momentum in 2023, with the State Administration Council (SAC) announcing plans for biometric data collection in Naypyidaw. The subsequent mandatory requirement of UID for local travel, passport applications, and Temporary Border Passes (TBP) forced mass biometric data collection, which was then used to identify, track, and arrest dissidents, according to the report by Myanmar Internet Project (2025). The same report also highlights the weaponization of "Safe City, Smart City" Initiatives by the military government. With the technical support from China, the junta later rapidly expanded the CCTV networks that were initially installed in major cities such as Mandalay, Yangon, and Naypyidaw as part of "Safe City, Smart City" initiatives under the civilian government. Although these initiatives are often promoted as urban development projects aimed at improving public safety and efficiency, the CCTVs are presumed to be integrated into technologies like the PSMS (Person Scrutiny and Monitoring System), enabling blanket surveillance and allowing for monitoring and tracking of targeted individuals. Neighboring countries, and even the regional body like ASEAN, has not reacted to this overt surveillance of citizens in Myanmar as they view it as domestic affairs, illustrating the bloc’s emphasis on non-interference principle. Governance and Ethics To ensure ethical implementation, emerging technologies, including AI tools, used in development must be transparent, auditable, and built with safeguards against bias. The integration of generative AI (GenAI) into development communications and planning is reshaping how narratives are framed, decisions are modeled, and resources are prioritized. In programmatic communications, GenAI tools can rapidly generate reports, impact stories, policy briefs, and community profiles, ostensibly enhancing efficiency. Yet this automation also raises epistemic risks: whose voice is being amplified, which data informs the narrative, and what local contexts may be flattened or misrepresented in the process? As development institutions and governments increasingly experiment with GenAI for scenario modeling or 5