How did it all start in Nepal? They posted about the luxurious lives of politicians, and the government shut down social media.
Nepalese Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli was forced to resign on Tuesday due to angry young demonstrators protesting against corruption. The youth defied the curfew and clashed with the police, a day after 19 people were killed in the violence.
The demonstrations were triggered by the ban on social media, which Oli's government lifted after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters trying to storm parliament, Reuters reported.
Around 100 people were injured, and 19 were killed.
But there was no easing of the protests on Tuesday, pushing Nepal into new political uncertainty.
The unrest is the worst in recent decades in the poor Himalayan country, which struggles with political and economic instability.
Young Nepalese have been frustrated for years by the lack of jobs, and millions have gone to work in the Middle East, South Korea, and Malaysia, mostly on construction sites, sending money back home.
- Given the unfavorable situation in the country, I have resigned in order to ease and help solve the problems, in accordance with the Constitution - Oli said in his resignation letter addressed to President Ramchandra Paudel.
Paudel's aide told Reuters that the president has begun the process of finding a new prime minister but also invited protest leaders for talks.
Cheering young people entered the parliamentary complex upon hearing the news, waving their hands and chanting slogans, while smoke rose from parts of the building.
- We have won - one protester wrote in huge orange letters on the wall of the parliament building.
Although protesters were still on the streets of the city, there was no more violence as security forces kept their distance.
Prime Minister’s House Raided
Oli (73) was sworn in for his fourth term in July last year as the 14th Prime Minister of Nepal since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. Two of his cabinet colleagues resigned for "moral reasons" late on Monday.
Earlier that day, Oli convened a meeting of all parties, saying that violence was not in the nation’s interest and that "we must resort to peaceful dialogue to find solutions to any problem."
He did not directly respond to protesters’ complaints about corruption.
However, demonstrators continued to gather in front of parliament and elsewhere in the capital Kathmandu, defying the indefinite curfew.
They burned tires on the roads, threw stones at riot police, and chased them through narrow streets.
Witnesses also said protesters set fire to the houses of some politicians in Kathmandu, and local media reported that certain ministers were rescued by military helicopters.
The Singha Durbar area, which houses the Prime Minister’s office and other ministries, as well as the Parliament building and Oli’s private residence, was also set on fire, they said.
Videos circulating on social media showed former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana, Foreign Minister under Oli, and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel being attacked by protesters.
"Generation Z Protests"
Kathmandu airport, Nepal’s main international gateway, was closed due to smoke from fires set by protesters, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
The protest organizers, who spread the demonstrations to other cities, called them "Generation Z protests."
Reuters writes that young people are largely frustrated by the lack of action against corruption and the lack of efforts to stimulate economic opportunities.
- The protest was aimed primarily against widespread corruption in the government - one protester said in an email to Reuters.
Young Nepalese had been posting on social media about the "luxurious lives of the families and children of corrupt politicians and state officials" until the government tried to block even that.
Last week, Oli's government blocked access to several online platforms for allegedly failing to register with the government, saying social media was being used to spread disinformation and commit fraud.
