At least 19 people have been killed in Nepal in the protests following the ban imposed by the government on social media. The government of Nepal has now lifted the social ban following fierce protests that resulted in the death of 19 people, a government minister said on Tuesday.
The government took back the social media ban imposed last week, Cabinet Spokesperson and Communication Information Technology Minister Prithvi Sabha Gurung said. More than 100 people were injured, and 19 people died after what is called a Gen Z protest on Monday against widespread corruption. The protests were triggered by the social media ban.
One of the protestors speaking to the news agency said, “The police have been firing indiscriminately. [They] fired bullets which missed me but hit a friend who was standing behind me. He was hit in the hand.”
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Prime Minister K.P. Sharma only said that he was saddened by the incident of the violence due to the infiltration from different selfish centres. The government would pay relief to the families of the dead and provide free treatment for the injured persons. Organisers of the protests, which spread to other cities in Nepal, have called them demonstrations by Gen Z.
They say the protests reflect young people’s widespread frustration with the government’s perceived lack of action to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities. The government last week decided to block access to several social media sites, including Facebook. The decision further incensed the young population. Officials say that the shutdown was for those social media platforms that had failed to register with the government amid a crackdown on fake IDs.