Anti-corruption protests sweep Nepal amidst violent police crackdown

Nepal’s prime minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli reportedly resigned on Tuesday following a violent crackdown on anti-corruption protests.

The chaos of the demonstrations shut down much of the news media in the capital, Kathmandu, and information coming out of Nepal has been patchy.

Gen-Z anti-corruption protests

The youth-led demonstrations began on Monday 8 September after reaching a flashpoint due to a ban of 26 popular social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram. The platforms reportedly missed a deadline to register with Nepal’s communications and IT ministry.

However, critics claimed that the ban was intended to silence corruption allegations against the government, dovetailing with simmering resentment of inequality and the loss of freedom of speech. UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy stated that:

The Government wanted [the platforms] to align to the internal laws as well because they have been concerned about misinformation, hate speech and social harmony, and to ensure oversight and monitoring… However, the decision was widely criticised as being too broad.

Many protesters labelled themselves as ‘GenZ’, and marched in college and school uniforms with books in hand. They lacked any leading figures or centralised organising groups. Instead, people shared news and calls for the demonstrations online, through the same channels that the government was now threatening. Content creator Subhana Budhathoki told the BBC:

Gen Z will not stop now. This protest is about more than just social media – it’s about silencing our voices, and we won’t let that happen.

Frequently, the demonstrators’ signs included the hahtags #nepobaby and #nepokids. These became popular on social media after videos of the lavish lifestyles of politicians and their families went viral. By contrast, many of the protesters face poverty and struggle, and saw the politicians as undeserving of the wealth they flaunted.

Escalating violence

Police met the protests with extreme and deadly force, including the use of water cannons, batons and rubber bullets. Security forces opened fire on crowds attempting to storm the parliament complex in Kathmandu. By Monday night, the social media ban was lifted, and at least 19 of the protesters lay dead.

The next day, the protests continued to escalate. The death toll reached 30, with over 1,000 injured. Doctors told BBC Nepali that they had treated wounds from gunshots and rubber bullets.

Protesters set fire to the parliament building in Kathmandu. They also targeted other government buildings, the headquarters of the Kantipur Media Group, the supreme court, prisons and police stations. Tribhuvan International Airport was forced to close, and Kantipur TV, Avenues TV, ABC Television, and ITV Nepal had to work off-air.

The Nepali army airlifted several senior political leaders from their homes. PM Sharma Oli was evacuated from his home by helicopter, and resigned not long afterwards. Army general Ashok Raj Sigdel threatened that:

all security institutions, including the Nepal Army, are committed to taking control of the situation.

Moving forward

By Wednesday, buildings smoked and the army had deployed troops onto the streets. Curfews were enforced across the nation until Thursday morning. The international airport re-opened. Jailbreaks had occurred in several locations, allowing the escape of thousands of inmates according to local officials. Security personnel shot and killed five children who escaped from a juvenile facility in the Banke district.

Some of the Gen Z groups which sparked the protests distanced themselves from the devastation. They claimed that “opportunists” had “hijacked” the movement. Student spokespeople told the BBC that they were gathering a new list of demands after the army invited them to engage in peace talks. However, it is not clear yet who exactly will lead the talks.

The UN has reported that talks have begun regarding the formation of an interim government, along with the dissolution of parliament, investigations of “illegally acquired assets”, and institutional reform. However, as the situation currently stands, Nepal’s road to recovery and political stability looks to be a long one.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/CBS News