By Tim Binnall
A popular online astrologer in Myanmar is in trouble with the law after he predicted that the country would be rocked by a second earthquake following a monstrous March tremor that devastated the nation. At the center of the strange case is an alleged soothsayer who reportedly dispels with his predictions on TikTok using the odd moniker 'John Moe The.' Earlier this month, the purported psychic posted a video wherein he warned his over 300,000 followers that "every city in Myanmar" was going to be hit by a massive earthquake in around two weeks.
The prediction was particularly troubling to residents already reeling from a 7.7 tremor that killed nearly 4,000 people and displaced a staggering 60,000 other unfortunate individuals. In light of that recent tragic event, the astrologer's video spread like wildfire on social media in Myanmar, reportedly amassing a whopping 3.3 million views and causing many to take the forecast very seriously. Fortunately, the second sizeable earthquake predicted by the psychic failed to come to fruition on April 21st as he had forecast.
While many residents breathed a sigh of relief that the prognostication was wrong, the astrologer himself did not come out of the situation unscathed. Beyond the blow to his reputation as a visionary, Joe Moe The found himself behind bars as Myanmar authorities arrested him for making "false statements with the intention of causing public panic." The psychic's TikTok account has since been shuttered while he waits to see what fate has in store for him.