"Myanmar's Kidney Trade: Desperate Measures Amid Crisis"

"‘I just wanted a house and to pay off my debts, so I decided to sell my kidney’"

In Myanmar, Zeya, a farm worker, made a drastic decision to sell one of his kidneys. The move came in the wake of the country’s rising economic hardship following the 2021 military coup, which plunged Myanmar into civil conflict. With skyrocketing living costs and mounting debts, Zeya found himself unable to feed his young family while living in his mother-in-law's house in a rural village, several hours from Myanmar's largest city, Yangon.

Zeya, whose identity has been protected, observed others in his village who had sold their kidneys and appeared healthy. After asking around, he found a broker, who arranged the entire process, from medical tests to the surgical procedure. Zeya was told that the recipient of his kidney, a woman from Myanmar, was already lined up, and both of them would travel to India for the surgery.

While organ trade is illegal in both Myanmar and India, Zeya was reassured by the broker that everything would be handled smoothly. The broker even forged necessary documents, including a household registration paper, to make it appear that Zeya was donating the kidney to a close relative, as required under Indian law.

Zeya traveled to India, where he underwent an organ transplant at a large hospital. Before the surgery, Indian authorities required confirmation that the donation was voluntary and that Zeya wasn’t coerced. Zeya recalled the process as involving several interviews with medical staff, during which an interpreter helped him answer questions. Once the procedure was approved, he was put under anesthesia and underwent the surgery, which, fortunately, went smoothly, with only post-operative pain as a side effect. He stayed in the hospital for a week for recovery.

Zeya’s story is not unique. Another man, Myo Win (a pseudonym), also participated in the same trade, claiming that he, too, posed as a relative of the recipient. “The broker gave me a piece of paper and told me to memorize what was written,” Myo Win shared. He was also promised a sum of money similar to what Zeya had been promised, which he would need to hand over approximately 10% to the broker as a fee.

Myo Win admitted to taking the money and agreeing to the procedure because he was struggling to pay off his debts and medical bills for his wife. His situation is part of a growing trend in Myanmar, where poverty and a lack of jobs are forcing people into illegal trades, including the sale of organs.

Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s economy has deteriorated, with unemployment rates soaring and poverty becoming even more widespread. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported that in 2023, the number of people living in poverty had reached 50%, up from 25% in 2017. For many, selling an organ has become a desperate means of survival.

Myo Win expressed regret for not knowing that the organ trade was illegal. “If the broker had told me, I wouldn’t have done it. I fear ending up in prison,” he confessed.

In Myanmar, where this black market for organs is growing, there are still those who, like Zeya and Myo Win, have sold their kidneys for a price. This illegal practice continues to expose the vulnerabilities of a population struggling under the pressure of economic collapse and widespread poverty.