19 People Killed in Nepal Over Corruption and Social Media Protests. 

Today, 19 people were killed in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, during protests triggered by a ban on social media and frustration over corruption. According to a report in the New York Times, these protests are the most sustained in recent memory, with both opposition politicians as well as some members of the ruling communist party calling for the prime minister KP Sharma Oli to step down. The primary catalyst for the protests was a ban on all social media platforms that include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The government’s rationale for taking these actions is that social media is not conducive to “social harmony”. According to a report in Reuters, the protestors are also frustrated at what they see as a lack of action on tackling endemic corruption in Nepalese society. While it is admirable to see a government having concerns about the dangers that social media can pose, instituting an all-out ban clearly has not been the best course of action.