Social media ban lifted after 19 killed in protests

Nepal lifted a social media ban that led to protests and led at least 19 people dead and caused conflicts with the police who wounded more than 100 people.

In the weeks before the ban, a “Nepo Kid” campaign that emphasized the generous lifestyles of politicians’s children and allegations of corruption began on social media.

When the government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and Youtube, protests exploded with thousands of young people who launched them into parliament in the capital Kathmandu on Monday. A few regions are now under curfew.

A government minister said they had removed the ban after an emergency meeting to “meet Gen Z’s demands” late on Monday night.

Last week, the Nepal government ordered the authorities to block 26 social media platforms because they did not comply with a final delivery date to register with Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies.

On platforms like Instagram and Facebook, there are millions of users who trust them for entertainment, news and business.

However, the government justified last week’s ban on fake news, hate speech and online fraud.

Young people on the streets on Monday said that they protested that they saw the government as the authoritarian attitude. Banners, including slogans, including many “sufficient” and “last corruption”.

Some protesters jumped into the stones in the house of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s home on the palate.

Sabana Budathoki, a protester, told BBC that the ban on social media was the reason for the “reason”.

” [the] Social media ban, I think everyone’s focus is on corruption, dedi he explained: “We want our country to return. We came to stop corruption. “

On Monday, water balls, batons and rubber bullets fired water balls, batons and rubber bullets to distribute police protesters in Kathmandu.

Prime Minister Oli said that he was “deeply upset” of violence and wounded wage, and blamed the events of “the events of the day” infiltration of various earned groups of interests “.

The government said it would establish a panel to investigate the protests, and also added that the dead will provide financial “assistance” to their families and provide free treatment to the wounded.

Interior Minister Ramesh Lekhak presented his resignation on Monday evening after intense criticisms of the use of power during the protests.