Myanmar imposes death penalty for forced scam labor and life sentences for crypto fraud, amid region-wide scam losses of $114 billion in 2025.
Regulation & Gov ·
Myanmar's military-backed parliament enacted the Anti-Online Scam Bill on Tuesday, introducing capital punishment for those who employ violence or unlawful confinement to coerce others into operating online scams, with death sentences mandatory when such abuse results in death. The law sets life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for running scam centers or conducting digital currency fraud, and sentences ranging from 10 years to life for coercion-related offenses. The measure represents the first legislation passed under Min Aung Hlaing's government since he took office as civilian president in April, though the complete text remains unreleased.
Scam operations across East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania generated losses estimated between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion in 2025, according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime calculations. Personnel from at least 80 countries have been discovered within these compounds. Regional authorities, including Cambodia, have moved forward with similar legislative responses establishing life terms for operation leaders, while U.S. prosecutors recently seized $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to scams routed through the region.
The enforcement framework faces significant obstacles. Law enforcement agencies across the region still cannot adequately trace proceeds moving through blockchain networks, limiting their capacity to dismantle financial flows supporting these operations. Additionally, Min Aung Hlaing commuted all existing death sentences to life imprisonment in April, raising questions about whether the newly legislated capital penalties will be consistently applied.