Myanmar passes Anti-Online Scam Law: death penalty for forced fatal scams, life imprisonment for crypto fraud

Odaily Odaily Planet Daily News Myanmar's military-backed parliament on Tuesday passed the "Anti-Online Scam Law," allowing the death penalty for those who use violence or illegal detention to force others into online scams. A draft released in May showed that if related abuse leads to the victim's death, the death penalty should be imposed. 

The draft also stipulates that those who operate online scam centers or commit digital currency fraud could face up to life imprisonment, with coercion-related crimes punishable by 10 years to life imprisonment. Aye Chan, a member of the House of Representatives, stated that the death penalty clause was retained in the approved version, the important parts of the bill remain unchanged, and the full text has not yet been published. 

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