Nepal’s prime minister resigns after 19 killed in protests against social media ban and corruption

Key Points

• Nepal has lifted a ban on social media platforms that was imposed following violent protests, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 people.
• The protests were triggered by the government's plan to regulate social media due to companies allegedly failing to register for oversight.
• The Home Minister, Ramesh Lekhak, resigned after the protests escalated into violence, drawing tens of thousands to the streets.
• The government's proposed social media regulation has faced criticism for being a potential censorship tool against dissenting voices.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s prime minister resigned Tuesday as protests against a short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent and expanded into broader criticism of his government and accusations of corruption among the Himalayan country's political elite.

Demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the country’s capital a day earlier, and police opened fired on the crowds, killing 19 people.

The ban was lifted Tuesday, but the protests continued, with demonstrators setting fire to the homes of some of Nepal’s top leaders and the parliament building. The airport in the capital of Katmandu was shut, and army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.

As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said he was stepping down immediately.

The demonstrations — called the protest of Gen Z — began after the government blocked platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.

But even after the sites came back online, the rallies continued, fueled by anger over the deaths of protesters at the hands of police and growing frustration with the political elite in the nation wedged between China and India.

In particular, many young people are angry that the children of political leaders — so-called Nepo Kids — seem to enjoy luxurious lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work. With youth unemployment running at 20% last year, according to the World Bank, the government estimates that more than 2,000 young people leave the country every day to seek work in the Middle East or southeast Asia.

“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.”

Focus turns to the government

On Tuesday, local media and videos shared on social media showed protesters attacking the residences of the top political leaders in and around the capital of Kathmandu.

Oli's private home was among those set on fire, as were those of the president, home minister and the leader of the country's largest party, Nepali Congress, which is part of the governing coalition. Oli's family was at the official residence at the time. The home of the leader of the opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was also set ablaze.

A curfew was imposed in the capital and other cities, and schools in Kathmandu were closed — but several protests continued in the capital despite the measures.

“Punish the murders in government. Stop killing children,” the protesters chanted, referring to the deaths at protests a day before. Police used loudspeakers urging them to return home.

The protesters blamed the government for the police opening fire and called for the ouster of the increasingly unpopular prime minister.

“We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed, we are here to see that justice is done and the present regime is ousted,” said Narayan Acharya, who was among the protesters outside the battered wall of the parliament building Tuesday. "K.P. Oli should be chased away,"

Police fire on crowds

Monday's rallies swelled to tens of thousands of people in Kathmandu and crowds surrounded the Parliament building before police opened fire on the demonstrators.

“Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving national flags.

Seven of the 19 killed and scores of the wounded were taken to 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, who works at the hospital. Families waited for news of their relatives while people lined up to donate blood.

Before he resigned, Oli said he would form an investigating committee that would submit a report on the shooting in 15 days. He added that compensation would be given to the families of those who were killed and those who were wounded would receive free treatment.

Social media ban seen as part of larger crackdown

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 would require 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 from The Associated Press. Elon Musk’s X platform also did not respond.

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.