Digital Governance in Exile: The National Unity Government’s Digital Services Efforts in Myanmar

Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s exiled National Unity Government (NUG) has turned to digital tools to maintain a presence and serve the public. This study examines how three of its parallel-government ministries—Health; Planning, Finance and Investment; and Education—are pioneering online public services under military rule.

Using interviews, surveys and secondary data, the research applies a sociotechnical lens to explore how digital infrastructure, social trust, access and multi‑lingual inclusion shape the NUG’s efforts. It finds major challenges in building service reach, ensuring security, and gaining public trust. The paper argues that digital governance is not simply a technical fix, but a core element of the democratic movement and how the NUG defines itself as different from the military regime.

The study concludes with recommendations for policy and practice: strengthening multi‑ethnic language interfaces, enhancing secure access, improving infrastructure and ensuring broad inclusion in marginalized communities. It frames digital public services as a tool of democratic legitimacy, not just service delivery.

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This study is part of the Myanmar Digital Research series published by Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) with support from International Development Research Centre and The SecDev Foundation.