13 dead in Nepal in protests against government social media ban

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- At least 13 people were killed in Nepal when protestors clashed with police over a social media ban in the country.

In Kathmandu, protesters pushed into the Parliament complex and occupied a security building before police could run them off. Witnesses said police used rubber bullets and water cannons to clear the protestors. More than 200 people have been injured.

Last week, Nepal authorities ordered the blocking of 26 social media platforms because they didn't meet a deadline to register with Nepal's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

Users have struggled to access the platforms since Friday, though some have used VPNs to skirt the ban. Two of the platforms have registered and been reactivated.

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The government has said social media platforms must be regulated to prevent fake news, hate speech and online fraud. Instagram and other popular platforms have millions of Nepal users.

Some protestors have said they were protesting against what they called the authoritarian attitude of the government.

Nepal Army Spokesman Rajaram Basnet told the BBC that a small unit of soldiers had been deployed after a curfew was imposed around the areas near the Parliament building.

The protests have spread to other cities Monday. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli was expected to have an emergency cabinet meeting later Monday to discuss the situation.

There has been robust democratic debate about free speech in the country, while freedoms have tightened in other South Asian countries. Critics of the prime minister have accused him of trying to curb freedom of expression.

In November 2023, Nepal banned TikTok, saying the app had affected "social harmony." The ban was lifted nine months later after TikTok agreed to register with the government. TikTok is still available in Nepal because it complied with the government's new rules on social media.