Nepal political leaders’ homes set on fire as protests over retracted social media ban grow
Protests in Nepal intensified after a social media ban, with demonstrators setting fire to homes of top political leaders, including the president and prime minister. Nineteen people were killed during clashes, prompting curfews, a minister’s resignation, and widespread public outrage
Kathmandu: Protesters set fire to homes of some of Nepal’s top political leaders in opposition to a social media ban that was lifted early Tuesday a day after deadly anti-government protests.Local reports and videos shared on social media showed protesters attacking residences of the top political leaders in and around Kathmandu.
A curfew was imposed in the capital and other cities, and schools in Kathmandu were closed. The houses set on fire included those of Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the largest party Nepali Congress, President Ram Chandra Poudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and leader of the Communist party of Nepal Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
A private school owned by Deuba’s wife Arzu Deuba Rana, who is the current foreign minister, was also set on fire.
The mass protest and attack on parliament Monday began as opposition to the ban on social media platforms but were fueled by growing frustration and dissatisfaction against the political parties among the people who blame them for corruption.
“I am here to protest about the massive corruption in our country,” said Bishnu Thapa Chetri, a student. “The country has gotten so bad that for us youths there is no grounds for us to stay back in the country.” “Our demand and desire is for peace and end to corruption so that people can actually work and live back in the country,” he said.
Several protests were reported on Tuesday despite the indefinite curfew in the capital.“Punish the murders in government. Stop killing children,” the protesters chanted while police used loudspeakers urging them to return home.
The protesters’ anger was turning toward the government led by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who has increasingly becoming unpopular.
“We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed, we are here to seek that justice is done and the present regime is ousted. K.P. Oli should be chased away,” said Narayan Acharya, who was among the protesters outside the battered wall of the parliament building Tuesday.
“We need to protest the killings of so many young ones and students aiming directly at their head by this Hitler-like K.P. Oli’s government. As long as this government in in power, the people like us will continue to suffer,” said Durganah Dahal, another protester.
“They killed so many youths yesterday who had so much to look forward to, now they can easily kill us all. We protest until this government is finished.”Several widely used social networks, including Facebook, X and YouTube were blocked in the Himalayan nation last week after failing to comply with a new requirement to register and submit to government oversight.
Monday’s rallies against the ban swelled to tens of thousands of people in Kathmandu and crowds surrounded the Parliament building before police opened fire on the demonstrators. Nineteen people were killed.
“Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving national flags. Monday’s rally was called the protest of Gen Z, which generally refers to people born between 1995 and 2010.Seven of those killed and scores of the wounded were received at the National Trauma Center, the country’s main hospital.
“Many of them are in serious condition and appear to have been shot in the head and chest,” said Dr. Badri Risa. Families waited for news of their relatives while people lined up to donate blood.
Oli said in a statement he was forming an investigating committee to submit a report in 15 days and that compensation would be given for the lives lost and free treatment for the wounded.
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also resigned at an emergency Cabinet meeting late Monday. The violence unfolded as Nepal’s government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.”
The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online. The bill includes asking the companies to appoint a liaison office or a point of contact in the country.
Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and fundamental rights. The registration requirement applied to about two dozen social networks widely used in Nepal. Neither Google, which owns YouTube, nor Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, responded to requests for comment.
Elon Musk’s X platform did not respond either.TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered and operated without interruption.
Nepal in 2023 banned TikTok for disrupting “social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials.” The ban was lifted last year after TikTok’s executives pledged to comply with local laws, including a ban of pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.
