Myanmar Threatens Death Penalty for Online Fraud Syndicate

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Myanmar's parliament has approved an Anti-Cyber Fraud Bill that imposes heavy penalties, rapid financial controls, and expanded supervisory powers as the government seeks to curb the country's multibillion-dollar cyber fraud industry.

The bill was passed on Tuesday (28/7) in the Joint Session of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in Naypyidaw.

Parliament Speaker Aung Lin Dwe announced lawmakers approved the law in full after completing disputed provisions between the two chambers.

According to the draft text published in May in the government newspaper based on the law, authorities must build a 24-hour emergency telephone line and an online complaint system for victims.

Banks can freeze accounts suspected of being involved in fraud within 15 minutes of verification, while suspicious accounts can be suspended for up to 72 hours.

The victim must report the case within 24 hours, and the police must immediately register the First Information Report.

The bill also requires banks, mobile payment providers, telecommunications operators, and internet service providers to exchange data through a centralized database.

The system will monitor bank accounts, SIM cards, IP addresses, phone records, and financial flows in real-time.

Those caught for operating a fraud center, cryptocurrency fraud, recruiting workers, or trafficking people into a fraud operation face sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

Violence, torture, or illegal detention related to a fraud operation can be punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, while the death penalty must be carried out if the act causes death.

The law comes as complex fraud schemes spread across conflict-torn Myanmar, where trafficked workers have reported abuse and forced labor.