TikTok Astrologer, 21, Arrested For Causing Panic By Predicting New Myanmar Earthquake

A 21-year-old Myanmar astrologer was arrested after his TikTok video warning of another major earthquake triggered public panic. According to the BBC, the astrologer, identified as John Moe The, posted his prediction on April 9, just two weeks after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed 3,500 people and destroyed historic temples in the Southeast Asian country. He warned that an earthquake would "hit every city in Myanmar" on April 21. He also urged people to evacuate buildings during tremors and "take important things with you and run away from buildings during the shaking". The caption of the video, which got more than 3 million views, further warned, "People should not stay in tall buildings during the day."

The 21-year-old astrology content creator was arrested on Tuesday for making "false statements with the intention of causing public panic", Myanmar's information ministry said, per the BBC. Experts have since reiterated that earthquakes cannot be predicted, given the complex factors involved in such disasters. 

However, before his arrest, the astrologer's prediction had already triggered a panic among residents. A Yongon resident reportedly said that many in her neighbourhood believed the video and chose to camp outdoors rather than stay in their homes on April 21 - the day John Moe The said the earthquake would happen. 

According to the BBC, John Moe The was arrested during a raid on his home in Sagaing, central Myanmar. His TikTok account, which had more than 300,000 followers, has since vanished from the platform. His controversial predictions included claims about future American airstrikes and the potential release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

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Notably, the 21-year-old's predictions came after a devastating earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, causing widespread destruction, particularly in the Mandalay and Sagaing regions. The magnitude of the earthquake prompted a rare and urgent appeal from Myanmar's military government for international assistance.

The earthquake was also felt some 1,000km away in Bangkok, where a building collapsed at a construction site, killing dozens. According to reports from Reuters, "the collapse of the construction site in Bangkok highlighted the far-reaching consequences of the earthquake, with the ripple effects felt beyond Myanmar's borders."