Myanmar parliament passes crypto scam bill with life terms
Myanmar parliament passes crypto scam legislation after the combined Pyidaungsu Hluttaw approved an anti-online scam bill in full on Tuesday. A May draft proposed prison terms of 10 years to life for crypto scams and operating scam centers, Cointelegraph reported, citing state-run media.
Key Takeaways
- Myanmar’s combined Parliament approved an anti-online scam bill after resolving differences between the two chambers.
- A May draft proposed 10 years to life imprisonment for crypto scams and operating online scam centers.
- The draft also allowed life terms or capital punishment for forcing people into scams through violence or detention.
- State media did not confirm presidential assent or when the law would take effect.
- The final amended text was not immediately available, so exact crypto penalty wording was not independently confirmed.
What did Myanmar’s parliament approve?
According to Cointelegraph, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw—Myanmar’s combined Parliament—passed an anti-online scam bill in its entirety on Tuesday.
Lawmakers acted after resolving differences between versions previously passed by the two chambers, the outlet said, citing the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM).
The move is framed as Myanmar’s latest attempt to curb a growing cyberscam industry that has turned parts of the country into hubs for online fraud. Readers following regional enforcement can track related coverage in our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
How severe are the proposed penalties for crypto scams?
A draft of the bill published in May prohibited crypto scams and proposed penalties ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.
The same draft also allowed sentences of 10 years to life, or capital punishment, for violence, torture, unlawful arrest or detention used to force people into online scams. The death penalty would be required when that conduct causes death, Cointelegraph reported.
Lower House MP Aye Chan told The Straits Times, citing Agence France-Presse, that the final version retained the death-penalty provision and that there were no significant changes to the draft’s important provisions.
Because the final amended text was not immediately available, Cointelegraph noted that the precise wording of the crypto-related penalties could not be independently confirmed.
When does the Myanmar crypto scam bill take effect?
GNLM’s report, as relayed by Cointelegraph, did not say whether the bill had received presidential assent or when it would take effect.
Until assent and an effective date are confirmed, the practical timeline for enforcement remains unclear even though parliament has approved the measure.
Why does this matter for crypto and scam enforcement?
The bill targets both crypto scams and the operation of online scam centers, pairing long prison terms with harsher penalties where people are forced into scams through violence, torture, unlawful arrest or detention.
For anyone watching Southeast Asia enforcement, Myanmar parliament passes crypto-related scam penalties that sit inside a broader anti-online scam package aimed at hubs for online fraud.
Open questions remain on presidential assent, the effective date, and the precise final wording of the crypto-related clauses.