Myanmar approves death sentence in crackdown on scam centres
Junta-backed bill targets syndicate bosses with life in prison and capital punishment
Myanmar’s military-backed parliament approved a law on Tuesday that authorises capital punishment for those who detain or violently coerce victims into working in online scam centres, the speaker said.
The “Anti-Online Scam Bill” was passed after MPs approved changes to a draft bill at a combined meeting of the lower and upper houses Tuesday morning in the capital Naypyidaw, Union Parliament Speaker Aung Lin Dwe said during a live television broadcast.
Lower house MP Aye Chan confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the death sentence remained in the approved version of the law.
“There were not many significant changes to the proposed draft bill after discussions between the lower house and upper house. The important parts of the bill remained the same,” Aye Chan said.
Draft legislation published in May said the law included sentences of 10 years to life in prison, as well as capital punishment, for “violence, torture, unlawful arrest and detention, or cruel treatment against another person for the purpose of forcing them to commit online scams”.
If committing such an offence caused death, “the death penalty shall be imposed”, it said.