The government of Nepal lifted the ban on social media platforms after the curb sparked a deadly protest across the country on Monday, resulting in the death of 19 protestors and leaving over 300 others injured. While Home Minister Ramesh Lekhkak stepped down from his position over the situation, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli “will not resign now”.
The decision to end the ban was taken during an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday evening. The ban on 26 social media sites, which started from September 4, was imposed after the government alleged that social media companies were not complying with the Nepal’s registration requirements.
However, following the government’s decision, the social media sites including Facebook, YouTube and X have now been accessible in Nepal past midnight on Tuesday.
“We have withdrawn the shutdown of the social media. They are working now,” Cabinet spokesperson and Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung told Reuters.
Here are the top updates:
- PM Oli, issued a statement late on Monday evening after the killings, announcing that the ban was lifted. Expressing grief over the deaths, he alleged that there was “infiltration by some unwanted elements in the peaceful demonstration,” which he said compelled te government to use force. “The government did not intend to ban social media sites, but to regulate them,” he clarified.
- The PM also announced that a probe committee would be formed that would submit its report within 15 days.
- Following the deadly clashes, the embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States in Nepal issued a joint statement expressing grief over the violence. They also reaffirmed their governments’ commitment to universal human rights, and stressed the importance of protecting peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
- Thousands of protestors, including school students aged 13-18, staged a massive protest in front of the Parliament in Kathmandu under the banner of ‘Gen Z’. They shouted slogans against the government over corruption and demanded immediate revocatiom of the ban on social media platforms.
- The protest turned violent after some tried to enter the Parliament complex, which led police to use tear gas, water cannons, and live rounds to disperse crowds. The protests later spread to Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Bharatpur, Itahari, and Damak.
- At least 17 people were killed in various parts of the capital city of Kathmandu, while two others died in the eastern city of Itahari in police firing.
- Following the violent clashes, local administration imposed a curfew in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Pokhara, Itahari and Butwal of Sunsarai district. The Nepali Army was also deployed in the capital to ensure law and order.
- The Himalayan Times newspaper said that hospitals, including Civil Hospital and Trauma Centre, are struggling to accommodate patients and have begun referring them to other facilities.
- Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Office (UNHRO) has called for a prompt and transparent probe into the killing and injury of protestors. It has also raised concern over the “deeply worrying allegations of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force” by security forces, and urged the authorities to ensure the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
