A popular TikTok astrologer has been arrested in Myanmar after his viral prediction of another major earthquake stirred panic in a country still reeling from last month’s deadly tremor.
John Moe The, 21, told his 300,000+ followers on April 9 that a “very strong” earthquake would strike “every city in Myanmar” within 12 days. “People should not stay in tall buildings,” read the warning, viewed 3.3 million times. “Take important things with you and run away from buildings during the shaking.”
His prediction came just weeks after a real quake killed over 3,700 people and displaced 60,000, many of whom remain in tent encampments too afraid to return home. Authorities said the video caused renewed public fear.
He was arrested Tuesday in a raid on his home in Monywa city, central Myanmar. The military government said in a statement: “We got a tip-off about fake news… Action will be taken effectively against him… and against those who spread or share fake news.”
Though earthquake early warning systems exist, scientists including the USGS insist that predicting quakes in advance remains impossible. John Moe The’s account, titled "John (Palmistry)", also included cosmic predictions about political upheavals and foreign military strikes.
Some, like Yangon resident Nan Nan, dismissed the video—but said others took it seriously. “Most of my neighbours dared not stay in their apartments,” she told AFP. “My friend even hired a small house outside Yangon in preparation.”
As aftershocks continue and mistrust deepens, the arrest has sparked questions over the line between public caution and panic—and whether astrology should come with a warning label.
John Moe The, 21, told his 300,000+ followers on April 9 that a “very strong” earthquake would strike “every city in Myanmar” within 12 days. “People should not stay in tall buildings,” read the warning, viewed 3.3 million times. “Take important things with you and run away from buildings during the shaking.”
His prediction came just weeks after a real quake killed over 3,700 people and displaced 60,000, many of whom remain in tent encampments too afraid to return home. Authorities said the video caused renewed public fear.
He was arrested Tuesday in a raid on his home in Monywa city, central Myanmar. The military government said in a statement: “We got a tip-off about fake news… Action will be taken effectively against him… and against those who spread or share fake news.”
Though earthquake early warning systems exist, scientists including the USGS insist that predicting quakes in advance remains impossible. John Moe The’s account, titled "John (Palmistry)", also included cosmic predictions about political upheavals and foreign military strikes.
Some, like Yangon resident Nan Nan, dismissed the video—but said others took it seriously. “Most of my neighbours dared not stay in their apartments,” she told AFP. “My friend even hired a small house outside Yangon in preparation.”
As aftershocks continue and mistrust deepens, the arrest has sparked questions over the line between public caution and panic—and whether astrology should come with a warning label.
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