Myanmar Passes Anti-Cyber Fraud Law: Forced Fraud Leading to Death Can Be Punished by Death, Crypto Fraud Faces Life Imprisonment

Odaily Planet Daily News: The Myanmar military-backed parliament passed the Anti-Cyber Fraud Law on Tuesday, allowing the death penalty for those who use violence or illegal detention to force others into online fraud. A draft published in May showed that if such abuse leads to the death of the victim, the death penalty should be imposed. 

The draft also stipulates that those who operate online fraud centers or engage in digital currency fraud can face up to life imprisonment, with sentences for coercive crimes ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. Aye Chan, a member of the lower house of parliament, stated that the death penalty clause remains in the approved version, the important parts of the bill remain unchanged, and the full text has not yet been published. 

This bill is the first law passed by Min Aung Hlaing's new government. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that fraud activities in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania will cause losses of between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion in 2025, with personnel from at least 80 countries found in related compounds. (Decrypt)