A TikToker was arrested and had his account – with more than 300,000 followers – deleted after Myanmar’s military junta accused him of ‘causing public panic’ two weeks after a deadly earthquake ravaged the country
A popular TikTok astrologer was shockingly arrested for predicting a very strong earthquake would hit the already devastated Myanmar – where 3,500 people were killed in deadly tremors last month. John Moe The was taken away by police on Tuesday, with cops claiming he made “false statements with the intention of causing public panic”.
The content creator – who had more than 300,000 followers – posted his prediction on April 9, just two weeks after the deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake. His video, which amassed more than three million views, warned that a new quake would “hit every city in Myanmar” on April 21.
The video’s caption also shared a terrifying message, which said: “People should not stay in tall buildings during the day.” John Moe The, 21, told TikTokers to stay away from buildings and take important things with them on Monday.
A Yangon resident told AFP that most of her neighbours believed his prediction and refused to go into buildings on Monday, even camping outside on the day. The 21-year-old was arrested on Tuesday morning during a raid on his home in Sagaing, central Myanmar.
Myanmar’s military government released a statement and said: “We got a tip-off about fake news being spread through a TikTok account that a severe earthquake will hit. Action will be taken effectively against him according to the law. Likewise, we will also take action effectively against those who write or spread or share fake news.”
John Moe The’s TikTok account ‘John (Palmistry)’, which has now been taken down, claimed he could make predictions based on palmistry and astrology. Experts however have said earthquakes are nearly impossible to predict due to the huge range of factors behind the often deadly disasters.
The TikToker has also used his channel to post other weather forecasts and even predicted the release of the country’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi – who was deposed in a 2021 coup.
The March 28 earthquake destroyed huge areas of Myanmar and left more than 4,000 people injured. This devastation forced the country’s military junta to make a rare request for foreign aid.
Despite this, several rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, had urged the junta to allow aid workers immediate access to the worst affected areas. Bryony Lau, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director said: “Myanmar’s military junta still invokes fear, even in the wake of a horrific natural disaster that killed and injured thousands.”
She added: “The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas.” The junta had also drawn criticism as it continued to open fire on villages even as the country reels from the tragedy.
The earthquake was so strong that tremors were felt in Bangkok, Thailand, around 1,000km away.