Myanmar’s poorest are so desperate they’re turning to social media to sell their kidneys

Hong Kong/New Delhi CNN . . Delivery driver Maung Maungs wife and young daughter hadnt eaten in three days, he recalled, when he walked into an internet cafe in his hometown of Mandalay, Myanmar, in late 2022.. ..

He had recently been detained and tortured by the countrys military junta for weeks, he said, on suspicion of transporting goods for opposition forces, during which time his wife had been forced to take out loans to support the family.. ..

With the help of agents, they travel to India, for instance, for transplants defying laws in both countries, where selling organs is illegal.. . CNN found posts offering to sell organs on at least three Burmese-language Facebook groups and spoke to two dozen people involved in the organ trade including sellers, buyers and agents to piece together the inner workings of an illicit industry fueled by desperation in a countryravaged by civil war.. ..

For this, they paid a high price, with many medical professionals arrested or forced to flee the country, leaving Myanmars already fragile healthcare system on the brink of collapse.. . . In the weeks leading up to the surgery, Thiri Khine and her pretend husband practiced for the authorization committee interview, finding answers to questions such as how they met, each others favorite foods and their license plate number.. ..

In response to Maung Maungs arrest and torture allegations, which set off the chain of events that led him to sell his kidney, Myanmars military told CNN: Members of Myanmars military are well organized, meaning they cannot unlawfully arrest or torture anyone...

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