Anti-corruption demonstrators in Nepal defied an indefinite curfew on Tuesday, staging protests and chanting slogans against Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, a day after 19 people were killed in violent clashes triggered by a social media ban.
Oli’s government lifted the ban after Monday’s unrest, in which police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at crowds attempting to storm parliament, leaving 19 dead and more than 100 injured.
But anger against the government showed no sign of abating on Tuesday, as protesters gathered in front of parliament and across the capital, Kathmandu, in defiance of the curfew. Under the order, schools and shops were shut and all public gatherings banned.
Protester Manjita Manandhar said Gen Z youths were staging peaceful sit-ins at Maitighar Mandala, near the Prime Minister’s office. A Reuters witness reported that demonstrators also set tyres ablaze at several points along the Ring Road encircling Kathmandu.
Organisers described the movement as “demonstrations by Gen Z,” fuelled by young people’s frustration over corruption and lack of economic opportunities. The protests have since spread to other cities in the Himalayan nation.
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Oli, 73, was sworn in for a fourth term in July last year as Nepal’s 14th prime minister since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. Two cabinet ministers resigned late on Monday, citing moral grounds.
Neighbouring India, home to hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrant workers, said it was “closely monitoring” the situation. “As a close friend and neighbour, we hope that all concerned will exercise restraint and address issues through peaceful means and dialogue,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The government had introduced the social media ban last week, blocking access to platforms including Facebook, after accusing them of failing to register with authorities.
“We have withdrawn the shutdown of the social media. They are working now,” Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung told Reuters. Reuters verified that all apps were accessible in Nepal on Tuesday morning.
Officials said the curfew in Kathmandu was aimed at preventing further unrest. “No protests, mass gatherings, meetings, or assemblies of people will be allowed during the curfew,” district administrator Chhabilal Rijal announced. Protest organisers, however, called for condolence gatherings in memory of those killed on Monday.
Authorities in neighbouring Lalitpur district also imposed a curfew until midnight (1815 GMT) on Tuesday.
Oli said he was saddened by the violence, which he blamed on “infiltration from different selfish centres.” He pledged compensation for the families of the dead and free medical treatment for the injured.
“An investigation panel will be set up to determine the causes, assess the damage and recommend measures within 15 days to ensure such incidents are not repeated in future,” the prime minister said in a late-night
