Many of Nepal’s trappings of state went up in smoke in a single afternoon.
On Sept. 9, coordinated arson attacks across the Himalayan nation destroyed hundreds of government buildings, from a storied palace and top courts to grand ministries and humble ward offices. Hundreds of other properties were targeted, too, including businesses and schools connected to the political elite, as well as homes of current and retired politicians.
The widespread arson followed the fatal shootings the day before of 19 anti-corruption protesters by security forces in Kathmandu, the capital. The prevailing narrative is that mobs of young protesters sought retribution, setting fires as their outrage over the killings flared.
But a New York Times investigation — based on dozens of interviews with witnesses, participants and arson experts; a review of photos and videos from the havoc; and visits by The Times to the wreckage sites — reveals new details that cast doubt on the idea that such a tightly coordinated nationwide campaign of destruction could have been an entirely spontaneous response to the deaths the day before.
A few hours after the shootings on Sept. 8, “ready-to-use lists” began surfacing online with the private details of members of society accused of being part of Nepal’s graft and patronage network.
The next afternoon, most of these people’s residences began to burn. Nepal’s executive, legislative and judicial branches were also consumed by fire. The scale of the devastation was catastrophic, akin to hundreds of airstrikes in a handful of hours.
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