Nineteen people died and more than 300 were injured in the protests in Nepal.
- Nepal banned the sites after they did not register with Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
- While Facebook and Instagram are blocked, TikTok, Viber, Nimbuzz and Popo Live continue to be in use in Nepal
- Protesters have cited corruption as another reason for their agitation
Nineteen people died and more than 300 were injured after thousands of young Nepalese citizens hit the streets to protest the KP Sharma Oli government's move to ban 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X. The protests, which started in the capital Kathmandu, spread to other areas of the Himalayan country. Curfew was imposed in several areas, including Baneshwor, Singhadurbar, Narayanhiti, and sensitive government areas.
Earlier in the day, police cracked down against protesters, firing rubber bullets and teargas shells. A young protester then appealed to the others to step back and claimed that vested groups have entered the crowd to provoke it. "We have already won today," the protest leader said. The Army has been deployed in the New Baneshwor area after the protests turned violent.
As the protests spiral, the Prime Minister Oli-led government announced that it has decided to lift the ban. After a cabinet meeting, Prithvi Subba Gurung, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Nepal, said the government has ordered the concerned agencies to start the process of resuming the social media sites as per the demands of the ‘Gen Z', which spearheaded a massive protest in front of the Parliament in the heart of Kathmandu.
Here's What Led To Protests
The Social Media Ban
On Thursday, 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 followed a Supreme Court order last year. The social media giants had been asked 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, hence, were not banned. Applications from Telegram and Global Diary are being examined, it is learnt.
What Do Protesters Say
A report in The Kathmandu Post puts the number of Facebook users in Nepal at around 13.5 million and Instagram at around 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.
"We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here," Yujan Rajbhandari, a 24-year-old student, told news agency AFP. "We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal."
Ikshama Tumrok, a 20-year-old student, said she was protesting against the government's "authoritarian attitude". "We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation," she said.
In a video circulating on social media, a protester is heard saying, "When the leaders' sons and daughters have a bright future, where is ours?"
What Has Government Said
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.
Last year, the Nepalese government banned TikTok. The ban was lifted in August after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.
