Chennai: Myanmar’s military junta is actively engaged in selling the organs of protesters shot down by the soldiers, a senior leader of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party has alleged.

National League for Democracy leader Dr Win Naing said that the military was deliberately shooting protesters in the head to keep the vital organs intact. Most of the victims were able-bodies youngsters. Their bodies were later cut open and organs sold to international organ trafficking gangs, he said in a webinar organised by Press Institute of India.

More than 200 protesters have been killed since the junta usurped power on February 1 and detained civilian leaders including State Counsellor Suu Kyi. Hundreds have been detained.

Dr Naing said that coup was motivated by military chief Min Aung Hlaing’s lust for power. The general had earlier approached Suu Kyi and President Win Myint with a request to make him the vice president. He sought power by violence after he was rebuked.

The webinar was also attended by former Union special secretary P M Heblikar, Commodore R Seshadri Vasan, director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies and Colonel R Hariharan, a strategic security and intelligence analyst and Columnist. Press Institute of India director Sashi Nair moderated the session.