Myanmar passes strict anti-online scam law; severe crimes punishable by life imprisonment or death

Naypyidaw —
Myanmar’s parliament has enacted a comprehensive anti-online-scam law targeting online fraud, cryptocurrency schemes and crimes linked to human trafficking, imposing penalties ranging from 10 years’ imprisonment to life imprisonment and, in some cases, the death penalty.
The law was passed at a joint session of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in Naypyidaw, with the speaker announcing approval after agreement between both houses, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar. Authorities say the measure aims to curb an industry they estimate to involve billions of dollars and to provide immediate protection for victims.
Key provisions and measures:
Immediate victim support: A 24-hour hotline and online complaint mechanism will be established; victims must file complaints within 24 hours, triggering an immediate police FIR.
Banking and freeze powers: Banks may freeze suspected accounts within 15 minutes of verification, with initial holds of up to 72 hours to allow investigations.
Real-time data sharing: Banks, mobile payment providers, telecom companies and ISPs will be required to exchange account, SIM, IP address, call record and transaction data via a centralized database in real time to detect suspicious activity.
Penalties: Running online scam centres, conducting cryptocurrency frauds, recruiting staff for such centres or trafficking people into them carries sentences from 10 years to life imprisonment; if violence, unlawful detention or abduction during the commission of such crimes leads to death, the death penalty is mandatory.
Regional cooperation: The law comes amid stepped-up regional operations against cross-border scam networks involving Myanmar, China and Thailand; the government says the law will make enforcement more effective.
Concerns and criticism:
Human rights groups have warned that the law’s sweeping surveillance powers, centralized data collection and inclusion of the death penalty risk abuse, unlawful detention and violations of privacy and due process.