Myanmar Passes Anti-Online Fraud Law: Death Penalty for Forced Fraud Resulting in Death, Life Imprisonment for Crypto Fraud

Odaily Planet Daily News The military-backed parliament in Myanmar on Tuesday passed the Anti-Online Fraud Law, allowing the death penalty for those who use violence or illegal detention to force others to engage in online fraud. A draft released in May showed that if related 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. Lower house lawmaker Aye Chan stated that the death penalty clause was retained in the approved version, with major parts of the bill remaining unchanged, and the full text has yet to be 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 caused losses of between USD 88.3 billion and USD 114.1 billion in 2025, with personnel from at least 80 countries found in related compounds. (Decrypt)