Nepal Prime Minister Resigns as Anti-Corruption Protests Turn Deadly

Security forces deployed water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition on Monday, leaving over 350 people wounded in addition to the fatalities. Medical reports indicate many victims sustained gunshot wounds to the head or chest. The unrest escalated rapidly after an initial September 4 ban on 26 social media platforms, which critics labeled an assault on free expression. Although the government eventually reversed the ban, the concession failed to pacify the public.

Protesters are targeting what they describe as "Oli-ism," a political culture of nepotism and exploitation. Video footage from the capital shows demonstrators assaulting Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel and torching the residences of Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba and former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal. With the political future of the country uncertain, the military announced plans to enforce order beginning at 10:00 pm local time. International observers, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, have condemned the lethal crackdown and urged the government to honor its human rights obligations.