Myanmar Parliament Proposes Death Penalty for Cybercrime Offences

• Myanmar published a parliamentary bill proposing the death sentence for cyberscam offences.
• It targets internet fraud factories that have flourished in war-torn Myanmar since the 2021 military coup.
• The bill will be discussed in early June and signals junta efforts to combat transnational cyber scams.

On May 14, 2026, Myanmar published a parliamentary bill proposing the death penalty for those who detain or violently coerce victims into online scam centres. The “Anti-Online Scam Bill” targets Myanmar’s booming cyber fraud industry in the context of ongoing conflict and instability following the 2021 military coup. This is the first major legislation under the new leadership of Min Aung Hlaing and aims to crack down on multibillion-dollar scam operations.

Myanmar Proposes Death Sentence for Cyberscam Offences

According to sources, Myanmar’s military-backed parliament has introduced a draft “Anti-Online Scam Bill” proposing the death sentence for individuals who detain, torture, unlawfully arrest, or violently coerce victims into working in online scam centres. 

The proposed bill, presented under the new government led by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, also introduces life imprisonment for those who operate scam centres or engage in digital currency (crypto) fraud. The move signals a tougher anti-cybercrime stance aimed at dismantling transnational scam networks, addressing widespread human trafficking, and restoring state control over Myanmar’s rapidly growing illicit digital economy.

Why is Myanmar proposing the Death Penalty for cybercrime?

The civil war triggered by a 2021 military coup has seeded instability across Myanmar. Monitors say this has created fertile ground for organised crime groups to set up shop in fortified compounds.

Internet fraud factories have flourished in war-torn Myanmar as part of Southeast Asia’s thriving scam economy. These operations target web users worldwide with romance and cryptocurrency investment cons. While the multibillion-dollar black market attracts many willing employees, repatriated foreigners have also reported being trafficked to sites in Myanmar and tortured by scam centre operators.

For instance, victims in the United States alone reportedly lost more than $20B to such scam schemes last year, highlighting the massive global financial impact of cyber fraud operations linked to Myanmar-based scam centres. The scam centres have also heightened diplomatic tensions with China, which has expressed growing frustration over the involvement of its citizens as both perpetrators and victims in these operations. 

What’s Next?

Notably, Myanmar’s military-backed parliament is scheduled to convene in the first week of June 2026 to consider the Anti-Online Scam Bill following its public consultation period. Given the legislature’s nature as a rubber-stamp body under junta control, analysts expect swift passage with limited debate.

The bill signals a tougher official stance and could deter some operators, particularly those involved in trafficking and forced labour. However, past crackdowns such as operations in Kokang/Laukkai and Myawaddy in 2024–2025 have shown that scam networks adapt quickly by dispersing into smaller sites, relocating, or shifting to less visible models. 

Moreover, the inclusion of capital punishment may complicate international cooperation and human rights engagement, even as Myanmar positions the bill as part of a broader strategy to dismantle cross-border cybercrime networks and reduce its role as a regional scam hotspot. 

Therefore, given Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict and uneven state control over key territories, enforcement capacity may remain inconsistent, meaning the law’s immediate impact could be more symbolic and deterrence-driven than fully operational on the ground.

Related: Global Scam Center Crackdown Nets 276 Arrests, DOJ Files Charges