Overview

• John Moe The, a 21-year-old TikTok astrologer, was arrested on April 25 in Sagaing for spreading misinformation about an earthquake prediction that never materialized.
• His April 9 video, viewed over 3.3 million times, falsely claimed a powerful earthquake would strike all of Myanmar on April 21, prompting some residents to evacuate buildings out of fear.
• Authorities cited anti-fake-news laws in justifying his arrest, warning that similar actions would be taken against others spreading unverified information.
• The March 28 earthquake, which killed over 3,700 people and displaced 60,000, has left communities anxious amid ongoing aftershocks and a slow recovery effort.
• Seismologists, including the United States Geological Survey, reaffirm that precise earthquake predictions are scientifically impossible, countering claims like those made by Moe.