Nepal has lifted its social media ban after it triggered protests that escalated into clashes with police, leaving at least 19 people dead.
In the weeks before the ban, a “nepo kid” campaign had spread online, highlighting the lifestyles of politicians’ children and raising allegations of corruption.
The government’s decision to block 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, sparked widespread anger. On Monday, thousands of young people gathered in the capital, Kathmandu, with some storming parliament. Several districts were placed under curfew.
An emergency meeting held late on Monday night to “address the demands of Gen Z” afterwards the said ban was lifted.
The ban was first announced last week after platforms failed to meet a deadline to register with Nepal’s ministry of communication and information technology.
Services like Instagram and Facebook are widely used in Nepal for entertainment, business and staying in touch with relatives abroad.
The government said the measure was intended to curb fake news, hate speech and online fraud. But many young protesters said they were also voicing opposition to what they viewed as the government’s authoritarian approach. Some carried signs with messages such as “enough is enough” and “end to corruption”.
In Damak, stones were thrown at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s house.
One protester, Sabana Budathoki, told the BBC that the social media ban was “just the reason” they gathered. “Rather than [the] social media ban, I think everyone’s focus is on corruption,” she said, adding: “We want our country back. We came to stop corruption.”
Police in Kathmandu used water cannons, batons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
Prime Minister Oli later said he was “deeply saddened” by the violence and the number of casualties, blaming it on “infiltration by various vested interest groups.”
He announced that the government would form a panel to investigate and provide financial “relief” to the families of those killed, as well as free treatment for the injured.
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday evening following criticism of how police handled the protests.
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