Nepal has lifted a social media ban after protests resulted in the deaths of 19 people, a government minister said on Tuesday.
The government had rolled back the social media ban imposed last week, cabinet spokesperson and communications and information technology minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said.
The decision came after 19 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the “Gen Z” protests on Monday against widespread corruption. The protests were triggered by the ban.
“We have withdrawn the shutdown of the social media. They are working,” Gurung told Reuters.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said he was saddened by the incidents of violence due to “infiltration from different selfish centres”.
The government would pay relief for the families of the dead and provide free treatment for the injured people, he added.
“An investigation panel will be set up to find out the causes, assess losses and suggest measures within 15 days to ensure such incidents are not repeated in future,” Oli said in a late night statement on Monday.
Organisers of the protests, which spread to other cities in the Himalayan country, have called them “demonstrations by Gen Z”. They said 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 platforms including Facebook, a decision that fuelled anger among the young.
Officials said the shutdown was for social media platforms which had failed to register with the government amid a crackdown on fake IDs, misinformation and hate speech.
Reuters
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