At least 19 people have been killed during protests in Nepal over a government ban on dozens of online platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and X.
The government has faced mounting criticism after imposing a ban on 26 prominent social media platforms and messaging apps last week because they had missed a deadline to register under new regulations.
On Monday, frustration at the ban boiled over on the streets of the capital, Kathmandu, and in smaller cities across the country. Tens of thousands of largely young people gathered to protest against the ban and wider allegations of corruption and authoritarianism on the part of the government, led by the prime minister, KP Sharma Oli.
In Kathmandu, clashes with police erupted as protesters broke through barriers and attempted to storm the parliament building and set fire to the gate.
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Police responded with deadly and allegedly indiscriminate force, firing live rounds of ammunition and tear gas as well as hitting protesters with batons, rubber bullets and water cannon.
Police confirmed at least 19 people had died from serious injuries sustained at the protests, including bullet wounds to the head and chest. Most died in the clashes in Kathmandu but two were killed when protests turned violent in the eastern city of Itahari. More than 100 others were said to be injured and receiving treatment in hospital.
The demonstrations have been labelled the “Gen-Z protest” in a nod to the youth-led movement that circumvented the social media shutdown to mobilise the masses. Many sought to emphasise they had taken to the streets as part of a bigger agenda to fight the corruption and nepotism they allege is rampant among Nepal’s political elite, and held up placards with slogans such as “youths against corruption”.
The government announced that a curfew would remain in place in areas of unrest across the country until 10pm on Monday night.
The almost blanket social media ban came into effect at midnight on Thursday and subsequently caused chaos across the country, affecting businesses and tourism and leaving people unable to communicate with relatives abroad.
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Reddit, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Signal were also among the banned sites. TikTok was one of the few not restricted – after it complied with the registration order – and it became a key tool of mobilisation. Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive holidays have gone viral on TikTok, further fuelling anger at the government.
Nepal’s ministry of communications and information technology said it had given social media companies seven days to follow the country’s laws and register after a court order, but all but five had failed to meet the deadline. A notice from the ministry said that subsequently an order had been issued to “deactivate” the platforms.
The government said the new regulations were aimed at cracking down on hate speech, fake news and online crimes. The ban had already drawn condemnation from international rights organisations. In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists NGO warned that the ban set a “dangerous precedent for press freedom”.
On Sunday, dozens of journalists had gathered in Kathmandu to protest against the ban, holding up signs with slogans including “no shutdown of social networks, no silencing of voices”, “freedom of expression is our right” and “democracy hacked, authoritarianism back”.
Before Monday’s protests turning violent, the country’s prime minister hit back at critics, saying he would not tolerate the “nation being undermined”.
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“The independence of the nation is greater than the loss of jobs of a handful of individuals. How can it be acceptable to defy the law, disregard the constitution, and disrespect national dignity, independence and sovereignty?” Mr Oli said in a speech on Sunday.
While Nepal remains a largely unrestricted country for freedom of expression, critics say there is a growing overreach by the Oli government that has caused concern. In 2023, TikTok was banned for nine months over concerns of hate speech and cybercrime but it was reinstated once the platform agreed to register with the government.
A series of draft bills governing press freedom and social media are under debate in Nepal’s parliament that could mean people are fined or jailed for content that is deemed against the “national interest” and allow the government to shut down newspapers and revoke the licences of journalists. – Guardian
