Political turmoil has gripped Nepal, which was under a nationwide curfew on Wednesday with troops patrolling the capital, Kathmandu, after protests forced out the prime minister and arson attacks left government buildings in ruins.
De facto leaders of the protest movement met with military officials and said they backed a former chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court to lead an interim government. But next steps in forming a government were unclear as the country began to rebuild after two days of unrest, and apparently self-organized citizens’ groups began to clear debris.
At least 30 people have been confirmed killed, 19 of them by security forces responding to mass antigovernment demonstrations on Monday. Led by teenagers and young adults, these were the most widespread protests in Nepal since it became a democratic republic in 2008.
Who are the protesters?
The demonstrators, who have no single leader, describe themselves as the voice of Nepal’s Gen Z who are angry over corruption, unemployment and inequality.
Like most Gen Z activities, the movement in Nepal began online. In the weeks leading up to the violence, the social media hashtag #nepokids began trending in Nepal on posts that appeared to show the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by children of the political elite in a country where most young people struggle to make a living.
It wasn’t clear whether all the images shared with that hashtag were authentic. But they tapped into widespread resentment and came to symbolize corruption in Nepal all the same.
What led to the protests?
A social media ban lit the fuse. Last week, the Nepalese authorities banned 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, after a deadline elapsed for the companies to comply with new requirements to register with the government.
The ban raised fears that speech could be restricted for Nepal’s 30 million people, and hurt tourism, a key industry that relies on social media to reach travelers. The social media blackout also cut off some two million Nepali workers abroad from their families. Nepal’s economy is heavily reliant on the remittances from these workers.
What happened during the protests?
The unrest escalated quickly. Protests began on Monday in Kathmandu and other parts of the country and grew rapidly. In the capital, protesters accused the police of opening fire on crowds of young demonstrators who had made their way toward the Parliament complex and blocked highways.
After a day of deadly clashes, the government repealed the social media ban on Tuesday, but it did little to ease the unrest.
Online, Gen Z demonstrators had expressly urged each other to remain peaceful. But some people in the streets caused havoc when they rushed barricades, looted businesses and set fire to government offices, the Supreme Court and politicians’ homes. They burned Singha Durbar, the seat of the Nepali government, and damaged airports and hotels. By Tuesday, the prime minister and four other ministers had resigned.
Nepal’s largest media conglomerate suspended two of its digital publications, including The Kathmandu Post, after protesters burned its offices. Some journalists said they had been targeted by protesters.
Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority opened Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
What happens next?
All eyes are on the military. It was unclear on Wednesday who was running Nepal.
A group saying it represented the Gen Z movement announced on Wednesday that it had met with military leaders and nominated a former Supreme Court chief justice, Sushila Karki, to lead an interim government. There was no immediate comment from the military. Ms. Karki told an Indian news channel that she would accept the position because “those young boys and girls, they asked me, they requested me.”
There was no clarity about what, if any, role the Army might play in setting up an interim government. It was also not clear if any of the political leaders who resigned on Tuesday were still in the country.
The Army ordered the public on Wednesday morning to hand over any arms and ammunition that may have been taken during the protests, and warned of action against anyone who did not. Some citizens’ groups organized to clean up debris on Wednesday from the arson attacks a day earlier.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
Lynsey Chutel is a Times reporter based in London who covers breaking news in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
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