Nepalese youngsters overthrow the government due to corruption: Generation Z rises up, protesting and seizing the parliament

Nepalese youngsters overthrow the government due to corruption: Generation Z rises up, protesting and seizing the parliament

As Nepal’s military negotiates with protestors, journalist Rajneesh Bhandari tells OCCRP about the corrosive corruption that enraged Gen Z.

Rajneesh Bhandari, chief editor of the Nepal Investigative Multimedia Journalism Network, spoke with OCCRP from Kathmandu, where anti-corruption protests this week forced Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his cabinet to resign. This interview has been edited and condensed for the purposes of clarity.

OCCRP: How did this begin?

Bhandari:

The government banned social media on Thursday last week, and especially young people were not happy with it. Twenty six social media platforms were banned and they had been a place for people to express their frustration. Gen Z — the younger generation — called for the protest.

It was unique to see protestors in school uniforms here, with a lot of youths taking charge of the protest. The main demand was to put in place a system to end corruption.

I was there when it began at 9 am on Monday and it quickly grew big. When they reached the parliament building, at first the police were calm. All of a sudden, police started throwing tear gas and then they started firing bullets. That is one the most tragic days in Nepal’s history — 19 youths, most of them students, died out here. 

The next day, there was a lot of frustration when authorities started imposing curfews. That day, Tuesday, the Gen Z protesters went inside and took control of the parliament and the government buildings, and a lot of houses were burned. 

I’m just in front of the vandalized parliament right now. I was here until 11 o’clock Tuesday night and it was still burning.

It is quite composed and calm today, but Tuesday there was a lot of celebration. People were moving around on motorbikes here and there, shouting and celebrating. It was a scene to remember.

Rajneesh Bhandari

Did you or anyone see any of this coming? 

Bhandari:

No one was expecting this to happen soon or so quickly. But I could sense the frustration among Gen Z. There was an ongoing protest about “nepo babies” on social media. There was a lot of frustration about how the children of political leaders were living a life with a lot of luxuries compared to the young people who are struggling in Nepal. 

Nepal is one of the more corrupt countries in South Asia, according to Transparency International. My organization has been reporting about a lot of corruption, including a story about how political parties in Nepal are evading taxes.

What are some ways corruption affects the average young person in Nepal?

Bhandari:

Lack of opportunity from corruption causes around 2,000 young people every day to leave the country to find work in other countries. People see a lot of images online of children of leaders having lavish weddings and birthdays, studying abroad and spending a lot of money outside the country. Protesters were saying that what they spend in a month, the nepo kids spend in a couple of hours.

The prime minister said he was stepping down to pave a way to a constitutional solution. What is the current situation?

Bhandari:

After the prime minister submitted his resignation, at around 10 o’clock Tuesday evening the army took control of the security in the country. Negotiations are under the way between the army and Gen Z representatives at the moment. They’re trying to come up with an interim leader who could take control and hold an election. They will take their solution to the president to sign on to it.

What’s the feeling among the people whose anti-corruption protest has brought down the government? 

Bhandari:

Talking with the Gen Z protesters, they seem to be happy that the revolution — which is what they call it — has been a success.

But also there is a frustration among people about how public property, especially the parliament, have been destroyed. It seems unnecessary because most of the burning took place after the prime minister resigned. So there’s a sense of sadness about all the destruction of these buildings, but largely the protesters and people I meet seem to be very happy with how things unfolded.