In the last 48 hours, Nepal has been rocked by deadly mass protests led by youth frustrated with the country’s leadership.
On Tuesday night, the Nepalese army sent troops to restore order after prominent government buildings were set on fire, politicians were attacked, and violent clashes erupted between protesters and government forces.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, Khadga Prasad Oli, also resigned earlier in the day in response to the ongoing repercussions.
At least 19 people were killed in the protests and more than 200 others were hospitalized due to injuries, according to the Nepal Civil Service Hospital. Here’s what you need to know.
How did the protests start?
Frustration has been growing among young people in Nepal due to unemployment and wealth inequality in the country. According to the Nepal Living Standard Survey 2022-23, published by the government, the country’s unemployment rate was 12.6%.
Before the protests, the hashtag #NepoBaby was trending in the country, largely to criticize the extravagant lifestyles of local politicians’ children and denounce corruption, as previously reported by NPR.
Then, last Thursday, the Nepalese government imposed a ban on most social media platforms, including Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and YouTube. Authorities said the measure resulted from these companies not having formally registered with the government.
Some saw the ban as a threat to freedom of expression, while others worried about how it would disrupt communication with loved ones working abroad, reported the local newspaper The Kathmandu Post. More than 741,000 Nepalese left the country in the fiscal year 2023-24 in search of employment, according to the Post.
The mass protests erupted on Monday—with some protesters setting fire to government buildings, including Parliament and the Supreme Court, as well as the homes of high-ranking political leaders, as previously reported by NPR. Tribhuvan International Airport, the country’s main international airport, was also closed due to smoke in the area.
The government lifted the social media ban later that day and imposed a curfew in the capital, Kathmandu, and other cities. But the demonstrations continued.
On Tuesday, the District Administration Office in Kathmandu said that government forces used water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets in an attempt to suppress the protests.
What’s next
The prime minister’s resignation came a day after Interior Minister Ramesh Lekhak also announced his decision to resign.
A key issue going forward is who has the legitimacy to govern Nepal, according to Ashish Pradhan, senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit conflict resolution organization.
“This is quite unprecedented, especially on this scale,” he said.
Many of the protesters identify as part of the Generation Z population, generally defined as those born between 1997 and 2012.
Over the years, this generation has played a central role in explosive political protests in the region. Most recently, last year in Bangladesh, students mobilized to demand an end to a controversial government job quota system. As a result, the country’s authoritarian prime minister fled. More than 1,400 people were killed, mainly by security forces, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Office.
In a joint statement on Monday, the embassies of the US, UK, Japan, France, and other countries expressed their strong support for “universal rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”.
“We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalation, and ensure that these fundamental rights are protected,” the statement said.
Source: npr.org by Juliana Kim, Diaa Hadid