Nepal's prime minister resigned on 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 Kathmandu was shut, and army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.
As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, 73, said he was stepping down immediately.
WATCH l PM, several other politicians' residences attacked: Cameras captured a fire at the Kathmandu residence of KP Sharma Oli, who resigned as Nepal’s prime minister as anti-corruption, anti-government protests in the country escalated."In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution," Oli said in his resignation letter to President Ramchandra Paudel.
Paudel, the ceremonial head of state, made a public appeal to the protesters to come forward for dialogue to find a peaceful resolution and stop further escalating of the situation.
Protesters burn tires, violating the curfew orders in Kathmandu on Tuesday. (Niranjan Shrestha/The Associated Press)The army issued a statement calling for calm and urging political dialogue, but did not give any other details.
The demonstrations 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, fuelled 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.
Youth unemployment highIn 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 per cent last year, according to the World Bank, the government estimates 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."
A demonstrator shouts slogans during a protest outside parliament in Kathmandu on Monday. Young people helped spur the protests. (Prabin Ranabhat/AFP/Getty Images)On Tuesday, local media and videos shared on social media showed protesters attacking the residences of the top political leaders in and around Kathmandu.
In addition to Oli's private home, the houses set on fire included those of Paudel, Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the largest party Nepali Congress, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and leader of the Communist party of Nepal Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The presidential palace and a building that houses the offices of the prime minister and several ministries were all torched. Thick smoke rose from the prime minister's office building.
The mass protest and attack on parliament began as opposition to the ban on social media platforms but were fuelled by growing frustration and dissatisfaction against the political parties among the people who blame them for corruption.
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.
Social media ban widely condemnedSeveral widely used social networks, including Facebook, X and YouTube were blocked in the Himalayan nation last week after failing to comply with a new requirement to register and submit to government oversight.
Monday's rallies against the ban swelled to tens of thousands of people in Kathmandu and crowds surrounded the Parliament building before police opened fire on the demonstrators.
Nineteen people were killed.
"Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media," the crowds chanted, waving national flags.
An aerial view shows demonstrators gathered outside Nepal's parliament during a protest in Kathmandu on Monday, condemning social media prohibitions and corruption by the government. Nepal police opened fire, killing at least 19 people, as thousands of young protesters took to the streets demanding the government lift a social media ban and tackle corruption. (Prabin Ranabhat/AFP/Getty Images)Before his resignation, Oli said in a statement he was forming an investigating committee to submit a report in 15 days and that compensation would be given for the lives lost and free treatment for the wounded.
The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online. The bill includes asking the 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 did not respond either.
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.