KEY POINTS
- At least 10 people killed and 87 injured as police clash with protesters in Kathmandu.
- Demonstrations sparked by government ban on social media platforms.
- Protesters, mostly Gen Z, also voiced anger over corruption.
- Curfew imposed in key areas of the capital.
KATHMANDU, Nepal: At least 10 people were killed on Monday as Nepalese police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse protests in Kathmandu demanding the government lift its ban on social media and address corruption.
Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused, AFP reported on Monday.
“Until now 10 protesters have died and 87 are injured,” spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police Shekhar Khanal said, quoted by AFP. “The crowds are still in the streets”.
Many of the injured were being treated at the nearby Civil Hospital, according to police information officer Ranjana Nepal.
Waving national flags, young demonstrators in the capital Kathmandu started the protest with the national anthem before starting chants against the social media prohibitions and corruption.
The crowd swelled as it crossed into a restricted area close to the parliament, and pushed through barbed wire, according to AFP.
Violence erupted in the streets as police baton-charged protesters, some of whom climbed over the wall into the parliament premises.
The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president’s residence and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister’s office.
Similar protests were organised in other districts across the country.
Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.
“We were triggered by the social media ban but that is not the only reason we are gathered here,” said student Yujan Rajbhandari, 24.
‘We want to see change’
“We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal.”
Another student, Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government. “We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she told AFP.
Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which is still operating.
The cabinet decided last month to give the affected companies seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer.
The decision came after a Supreme Court order in September last year.
In a statement on Sunday, the government said it respected freedom of thought and expression and was committed to “creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use”.
Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past.
The government blocked access to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.
It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok in August last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.
