Myanmar is sinking into growing social chaos and widespread poverty is rampant. This alarming economic decline has led to a worrying rise in the number of people selling their organs to secure their survival. Sadly, Japan, with a high demand for organs and strict donation laws, has reported a significant increase in organs being trafficked from Myanmar without official regulation or supervision.

Inside Japan, the topic stirs controversy, raising ethical and legal questions as desperate people resort to extreme measures. It also highlights the stringent organ donation laws prevalent in the country. Japanese citizens are typically deeply concerned with humanitarian issues, and this episode provokes provocative debates about responsibility and consent in the black-market organ trade.

Compared to the US or EU, this issue illustrates the impact of different governmental political stances on organ donation and black market operations. Both US and EU have more robust organ donation and transplantation regulations that potentially mitigate such problems, although they too struggle with organ shortages and illegal trade.