Violent protests in Nepal; 19 killed

New Delhi: India's northern neighbour Nepal on Monday plunged into a major crisis with Gen Z clashing with law enforcement agencies over a social media ban and corruption resulting in the death of 19 and injuring at least 300.

As many as 19 people have died after police opened fire during a Gen Z protest centred in New Baneshwor area of capital Kathmandu. The Kathmandu district administration office has imposed curfew across several parts of the city.

The curfew, initially imposed in parts of Baneshwor after demonstrators staged protests in a restricted area, now covers a wider zone. It includes the President's residence, Shital Niwas area, Maharajgunj, the vice-president's residence in Lainchaur, all sides of Singha Durbar, the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar, and surrounding areas. The Army has been deployed in New Baneshwor area after the protests turned violent.

Thousands of youths joined the protests, reminiscent of the anti-monarchy protests, criticising rampant corruption and the government's ban on 26 unregistered social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Snapchat. This is the worst political protest in Nepal in several years.

"The protests spiralled out of control after demonstrators broke into restricted zones and stormed the Federal Parliament premises in New Baneshwor... Security forces resorted to firing tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and even aerial firing in a desperate bid to disperse the crowds. Despite the crackdown, protesters continued to clash fiercely with security personnel," according to an IANS report from Kathmandu.

The demonstrations against the social media ban have snowballed into an anti-corruption protest. Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said his administration is not against platforms but against "lawlessness, arrogance and belittling the country".

A government notice said social media giants were given a week to register with the government, starting August 28. But none - Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and LinkedIn - submitted applications by the deadline.

The government's directions followed a Supreme Court order last year. The social media giants had been asked to establish a point of contact and name a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer. TikTok, Viber, Witk, Nimbuzz and Popo Live are registered with the government and continue to be in use in Nepal. Applications from Telegram and Global Diary are being examined, it is learnt.

A report in leading Nepali daily 'The Kathmandu Post' puts the number of Facebook users in Nepal at around 13.5 million and Instagram users at around 3.6 million.