The dramatic overthrow of Nepal’s prime minister and much of his cabinet, happened within five days in early September, following the government’s ban of 26 social media and communication apps. About 75 protestors were killed in the process. Government buildings were burned to the ground.
Most in the country, including our leaders, have mixed feelings about the outcomes of the protest. The old government was unfriendly to Christians on top of deep corruption issues, amongst other problems. Our leaders’ sympathy lies with the student protestors and their cause. But, they, like many others, also believe that the protests were co-opted by bad actors, working to take advantage of the chaos. All in all, it is an unfolding and unclear time for the country and its citizens. This article from the Nepali Times explains some of the reasons that reporting on these events has been complicated.
Instead of trying to summarize the events that have unfolded since early September, here we share some of the messages we received from our country leaders, Shalva* and Jandi* throughout the month. We hope that provides some greater context:
September 7th:
“The Nepal government also has closed down the Signal too.” ~ Shalva
September 8th:
“It’s very sad, young students are killed. It’s heartbreaking news. Till now people we know are safe.” – Jandi
“Please pray for Nepal! The present situation is very critical. The home minister has already resigned. And the curfew continues until tomorrow…
19 young students have been killed who were protesting against the corruption and social media ban…
[The protests] will surely continue because they are students and ready to die…
The government turned autocratic and didn’t listen to the people’s voice. Today more than 500,000 students came on the road for protest. And many are aggressive against the government, so unless the government listens to the people’s voice the protest may not be ceasing. We are keeping ourselves safe in this situation. Please pray for us and the country…
‘Gen-Z Protest Met with Deadly Government Violence in Nepal.
Today, Nepal’s young generation boldly declared “Enough is enough.” They gathered in the streets to protest against political corruption and the government’s ongoing censorship of social media, demanding accountability and reform.
In response, the government deployed its armed forces. In a shocking and tragic escalation, security personnel fired live ammunition into the crowd in broad daylight, killing 19 innocent young people.
This brutal act has left families grieving the loss of their sons and daughters and robbed the nation of a part of its bright future. The voices of courage were silenced by violence, but their cry for justice cannot be extinguished.’” ~ Shalva
September 9th:
“Social media ban is lifted, but protest is continuing and people are violating the curfew and still the situation is very bad…
‘The United Nations and human rights groups have called for an independent investigation. The incident has drawn widespread attention worldwide.’
‘At least 19 protesters were killed and hundreds injured in the protests today. Police brutally killed protesters using tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and guns, which has drawn widespread criticism at home and abroad. The Home Minister has resigned following the violence.’
‘From an international human rights perspective, there are many areas of concern. It can be seen that there have been serious violations of human rights. The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression have been violated. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), states are obliged to protect the right of people to peacefully assemble and express their dissent.
The use of force is subject to the principles of necessity and proportionality. International standards, such as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Officials, require that force be used only when necessary, proportionate and as a measure of last resort. The participants were students exercising their constitutional rights. Shots were fired at unarmed protesters. This indicates a disproportionate and excessive use of force. Everyone has the right to life. States must use all available means to reduce deaths in civil unrest. The 19 deaths and hundreds of injuries demonstrate that the state has failed to meet this duty.’” ~ Shalva
September 10th:
“We are back to Signal. Everything in the country has been burned. We are safe. Please remember us in prayers.” ~ Shalva
September 13th:
“They have dissolved the parliament and appointed the PM but [we are] not so much hopeful. Let’s see how things will go in the days to come. If they are against the Christians that’s not to be a big surprise. Let us pray for peace and freedom to the religious communities.” ~ Shalva
September 16th:
“Most of the police stations throughout the country have been burned.” ~ Jandi
“So still the situation is very bad and we can’t guess anything. How long will it go? You know, it is a very difficult time, let’s see [what happens with the interim prime minister]
We are praying, but we were very, very fearful about them attacking the churches. But they did not touch the church. If a single temple were touched [in the protests], then every church in the country will go away. And we are requesting all the Christian communities throughout the country to not write anything on social media because it is a critical time. We should play a constructive role to build up the society, but we should not expose ourselves very openly at this time.
We are praying for the families who lost their children. The death toll has crossed 75 and it will increase.
And the people with bad motives, they also took advantage [of the protests]. You know, like the prisoners were released. 13,500 have run away. Many prisons were burned. They burned the big politicians’ houses. It has become very risky.
This kind of protest we are seeing for the first time in our lifetime. You know, I saw the 90s protest, I saw the 2006 and 2007 protest. And when the government released the constitution in 2015, I saw that protest. It was not like this. It is totally different. It is a very lawless situation. You know, there are laws to punish politicians. There is a way to punish them. But they are publicly saying they will kill them.
[It can be successful] if the political parties are changing their strategy, you know? Really starting to work for the country’s favor and stopping the corruption… You know, these bureaucrats also, they were so much corrupted. If they transform their life, then we can understand the peace. Otherwise, no hope.” ~ Shalva
“This prime minister announced the election. So let us see. But people are saying things like, ‘there will not be an election’, or like, ‘the same political parties will influence’. So many things are there. So it’s really uncertain, you know? During that first week it was like for four or five days with no government, no police, nothing, you know? But now everybody started their duties, but still, and we have not seen anything changed. So we are just praying.” ~ Jandi
September 29th:
“The political situation is not good at all. We don’t know what will happen next. Any kind of news isn’t reliable at this time. We’re praying and waiting for God’s judgement. Please pray 🙏 for Nepal. The new interim government announced the election date [March 5th, 2026] but still it’s uncertain. The students group is also divided and everything sounds confusing.”
*Header photo from BBC coverage and can be viewed in its original source here.