"If You Want the Body Back, Pay 100,000 Won"… Myanmar Military Police Suspected of Body Snatching and Organ Trafficking

Allegations Against the Myanmar Branch of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
Monetary Demands in Exchange for Returning Bodies
Some Bodies Show Sutures on Chest and Abdomen Areas

The Myanmar branch of the human rights organization 'Political Prisoners Support Alliance' reported that the military police are demanding money in exchange for returning the bodies of deceased civilian soldiers. / Photo by Twitter capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] As the number of civilians killed by gunfire and violence from Myanmar's military and police has surpassed 700, allegations have emerged that the military and police demanded money in exchange for returning some bodies and even harvested organs from the corpses, sparking expected outrage.

According to the Myanmar branch of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on the 12th (local time), more than 80 citizens protesting the military coup died in the Bago area near Yangon between the 8th and 9th.

At that time, the military and police reportedly fired live ammunition as well as heavy weapons such as mortars at the protesters. The military and police reportedly piled up the bodies and injured together before transporting them somewhere.

It is also reported that the military and police demanded money in exchange for returning some bodies. AAPP claimed, "The terrorists (military and police) are demanding 120,000 kyats (about 96,000 KRW) in exchange for returning the bodies of the heroes who died in Bago."

Some claim that the military has been harvesting and selling certain organs from corpses, which is expected to cause a stir. / Photo by Twitter Capture

As this situation was reported, Myanmar netizens expressed their anger. They posted on social networking services (SNS) messages condemning the military and police such as, "Are you making money off the dead?", "People are unable to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones because they cannot pay," and "This is too cruel."

Some have raised suspicions that the military harvested organs from the protesters. A photo posted by a Myanmar netizen on Twitter shows long stitched scars on the chest or abdomen area of a corpse.

The netizen who posted the photo claimed, "Every time a citizen dies, the military and police get richer," and "The military and police are making money by selling organs."