Southeast Asian scam compounds have long been involved in cases of detention and abuse of 'piglets' (trafficked scam workers), drawing international attention. On the 28th, Myanmar’s parliament passed the Anti-Online Fraud Law, stipulating that anyone who forces others to engage in online fraud through the use of violence, detention, or torture can be sentenced to death at the maximum penalty. This law has become a significant new measure in combating cross-border fraud in the country.
According to AFP, on the morning of the 28th in the capital Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s parliament held a joint session of both houses and passed the Anti-Online Fraud Law. Lower House Member Aye Kyaw confirmed to AFP that the law retains the death penalty clause, which is broadly consistent with the previously released draft.
According to the law, forcing others to engage in online fraud through violence, torture, illegal detention, or other cruel means can result in a prison sentence of 10 years to life; if such actions result in the victim's death, the perpetrator must be sentenced to death under the law.
In addition, those who operate online scam compounds or engage in cryptocurrency scams can be sentenced to life imprisonment at maximum.
In recent years, many scam compounds have emerged in Myanmar's border regions, including the well-known KK Park and Shuigougu, suspected of luring foreign nationals with promises of high-paying jobs and then coercing them into participating in online scams.
Several rescued victims have stated that those who refused to scam or failed to meet performance targets could be subjected to electric shocks, beatings, detention, and other forms of abuse, prompting ongoing attention from multiple governments to transnational human trafficking and scam crimes.
AFP pointed out that this is the first law enacted since the formation of the Min Aung Hlaing administration. Since the outbreak of civil war following the 2021 military coup, the border situation in Myanmar has remained turbulent. Transnational crime groups have taken advantage of the chaos to run online scam operations in heavily guarded compounds, with victims scattered across Asia and many other countries worldwide.