Roving Periscope: Nepal going the Sri Lankan way? 14 killed over social media ban, corruption
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Days after India and China rejected Nepal’s territorial claims over Lipulekh, and Kathmandu banned social media, at least 14 people were reported killed and over 200 wounded in police firing on Monday as thousands of angry youths hit the streets and some even tried to storm parliament in the national capital amid curfew, the media reported.
At least 14 people were reported killed as police fired at protesters, mostly Nepal’s tech-savvy Generation Z, who took over the streets of Kathmandu and other major cities on Monday to protest against the alleged corruption and the Communist-led government’s ban imposed on social media platforms last week.
Seven of these people died at the National Trauma Centre, three at Everest Hospital, two at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and one at KMC Hospital.
The KP Sharma Oli government’s controversial move to ban 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X sparked nationwide protest, starting in the national capital Kathmandu. The unrest quickly spread to other areas of the landlocked Himalayan country.
Officials imposed curfew in several areas, including Baneshwor, Singhadurbar, Narayanhiti, and sensitive government enclaves in Kathmandu.
Police cracked down against protesters, firing rubber bullets and teargas shells. A young protester then appealed to the others to step back and warned that vested interests had infiltrated the crowd to provoke it. “We have already won today,” he declared.
As the protests spiralled, PM Oli called a cabinet meeting on Monday evening. The Army was deployed in the New Baneshwor area after the protests turned violent.
On Thursday last week, Nepal banned social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, after they did not register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. A 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 – had submitted applications by the deadline.
The government’s directions banning social media followed a Supreme Court order of last year. The social media giants had been directed 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 used in Nepal. Applications from Telegram and Global Diary are being examined, the reports said.
According to a Kathmandu Post report, the number of Facebook users in Nepal is around 13.5 million and Instagram 3.6 million. Many rely on social media for their business. As the social media platforms went down in Nepal, those affected started protesting. The demonstrations against social media ban then snowballed into an anti-corruption protest.
In a statement, the government said on Sunday that it respects freedom of thought and expression and was committed to “creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use”.
Earlier, the government blocked access to Telegram, citing that the secure platform was being used for online fraud and money laundering activities.
