In brief
Authorities detained John Moe The after his prediction, made shortly after a devastating magnitude 7.7 quake, incited pandemonium and evoked serious public concern.
Myanmar's government has taken a stern stance against social media misinformation, highlighted by the recent arrest of an astrologer whose TikTok video claiming another earthquake was on the horizon spread like wildfire. John Moe The's prediction, posted on April 9, anticipated a new earthquake to strike "every city in Myanmar" on April 21, just weeks after a previous disaster claimed over 3,500 lives and damaged historic sites. Following the video, which garnered over three million views, many residents were reportedly unsettled enough to leave their homes in fear of the impending quake. According to Myanmar's information ministry, the astrologer was arrested on Tuesday for "false statements with the intention of causing public panic." Despite a popular belief in astrology, experts have stated that predicting earthquakes is scientifically impossible due to the myriad of unmanageable variables connected to such seismic events.John Moe The had cautioned viewers to be cautious, advising them to "take important things with you and run away from buildings during the shaking," alongside warnings not to stay in tall buildings during daytime. This advice resonated deeply in communities affected by the earlier quake, with reports of frightened people camping outdoors in anticipation of the feared disaster.His now-inactive TikTok account, accumulating over 300,000 followers, promoted predictions derived from astrology and palmistry. The authorities apprehended him at his home in Sagaing, a location that experienced significant destruction during the March earthquake. In the aftermath of that quake, which reverberated across borders to places like Bangkok, prompting foreign aid requests from Myanmar's junta, public concern over predictions and statements circulating on social media remains high.
