Overview
- The draft bill, published Thursday, is the first major proposal from Min Aung Hlaing’s new civilian government.
- The measure sets death for forcing people into scam work through violence or unlawful detention, and 10 years to life for running scam centers or digital currency fraud.
- The military-backed parliament is scheduled to meet in the first week of June to consider the legislation.
- U.S. officials report steep losses to crypto schemes and stepped-up action, including a $701 million DOJ freeze in April and an FBI tally of $11.4 billion in crypto-related losses last year.
- Democracy watchdogs question the government’s motives, noting scam networks often rely on trafficked workers held in fortified compounds that have flourished since the 2021 coup.