Myanmar Enacts Death Penalty for Online Scam Coercion
On Tuesday, Myanmar’s parliament, which operates under military rule, enacted a law that introduces the death penalty for individuals who employ violence or unlawful detention to coerce others into participating in online scams. Notably, if such actions result in the death of the victim, the law stipulates that capital punishment will be applied. This new regulation is a part of a broader legislative framework that was initially unveiled in May.
Legislative Details
The law proposes life imprisonment for those who establish or run online scam operations, including those involved in cryptocurrency fraud. Coercive actions tied to these offenses could lead to sentences ranging from ten years to life imprisonment.
Aye Chan, a member of the lower house, confirmed to AFP that the death penalty clause remained intact in the finalized legislation, indicating that the core elements of the bill were preserved. However, the complete text of the law has yet to be made public.
Significance of the Legislation
This legislation marks a significant milestone as it is the first law passed by the regime led by Min Aung Hlaing, who came to power following the military coup in 2021 and assumed the role of civilian president just this April. According to Myanmar’s constitution, a quarter of the parliamentary seats—totaling 166—are designated for military representatives, while the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) secured 339 of the remaining seats in elections that were inaccessible to Aung San Suu Kyi’s now-dissolved party.
International Context
In 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Karen National Army, previously known as the Karen Border Guard Force, categorizing it as a transnational criminal organization. This decision was based on claims that the militia’s territory along the Thai border harbors numerous cyber scam operations and that it has benefited from its connections with Myanmar’s military. The KNA has denied any involvement in fraudulent activities.
Scam syndicates operating throughout East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania prompted estimated losses of between $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in 2025, as reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Investigators have found individuals from over 80 countries trapped in these operations. Meanwhile, Cambodia has proposed legislation that would impose life sentences on the leaders of such scams, and U.S. authorities recently seized $25 million in cryptocurrency associated with scams linked to this region. The UNODC has also highlighted challenges faced by law enforcement in tracking illicit financial flows on blockchain networks.
Reintroduction of Capital Punishment
Myanmar began reinstating judicial executions in 2022, marking the execution of four activists—the first since 1976. Following his ascension to the presidency in April, Min Aung Hlaing amended every death sentence in the country to a life sentence, yet just three months later, his government has moved forward with new legislation that reintroduces capital punishment for specific offenses.
