Myanmar passes anti-scam law with death penalty for deadly coercion

Myanmar’s parliament approved an anti-online scam bill on July 28 after reconciling amendments adopted by its lower and upper chambers, advancing legislation that in its published May draft imposed prison terms of 10 years to life for “digital currency fraud” and for operating online scam centers. The final amended text, presidential assent and commencement date were not publicly available online as of July 29, leaving the exact enacted penalties unconfirmed. The draft law targets digital-currency fraud, scam compounds, forced scam labor and the financial and telecommunications infrastructure used by fraud networks. It also proposed life imprisonment or capital punishment for violence, torture, unlawful arrest, detention or cruel treatment used to force people into scam work, with the death penalty required when that conduct caused death. Lower House lawmaker Aye Chan told AFP the final bill retained the death-penalty provision and said there were “not many significant changes” to its important sections. The measure would create a central committee, regional bodies and an Anti-Scam Centre, while allowing cooperation with foreign governments and information sharing among banks, telecommunications providers and state agencies. It also lays out procedures to freeze suspicious accounts and confiscate proceeds or equipment linked to scams. Human Rights Myanmar criticized the proposal as overly repressive and raised concerns about surveillance, website blocking, capital punishment and the lack of independent oversight. The bill comes as evidence suggests Myanmar’s scam-center industry remains active despite regional crackdowns. Satellite analysis reviewed by Wired identified at least 25 suspected sites built or expanded around Myawaddy in the first half of 2026, while the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said fraud groups were adapting to raids by dispersing and relocating. In April, the U.S. Justice Department charged two Chinese nationals over an alleged cryptocurrency-investment fraud compound in Burma and said it had restrained about $700 million in cryptocurrency alongside broader website seizures. Analysts say the practical impact of Myanmar’s law will depend on publication of the final text, implementation rules and whether authorities pursue senior operators and financial networks while protecting trafficking victims and due process.