{"id":6108,"date":"2025-09-09T23:18:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T23:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/6108\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T23:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T23:18:14","slug":"nepal-unrest-why-not-banning-tiktok-hastened-pm-olis-resignation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/6108\/","title":{"rendered":"Nepal unrest: Why not banning TikTok hastened PM Oli\u2019s resignation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nepal Mass protests rocked Nepal this week after the government briefly blocked popular social media platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube. At least 21 people were killed and more than 250 injured as police opened fire on demonstrators in Kathmandu, with protesters torching homes of senior leaders and chanting \u201cStop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media.\u201dAlthough the ban was lifted within 24 hours, the unrest spiralled into a broader rejection of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli\u2019s leadership, fuelled by accusations of corruption, nepotism, and police brutality. By Tuesday afternoon, Oli announced his resignation, saying he was \u201cdeeply saddened by the loss of lives\u201d and promised an inquiry into the violence.<\/p>\n

Why TikTok was spared<\/p>\n

Among the 26 banned applications, TikTok, the go-to social media platform for Gen Z, was conspicuously absent. According to The Associated Press, the Chinese-owned platform had formally registered in Nepal, agreeing to comply with new laws that require companies to establish a local liaison office or point of contact.\"WhatTikTok had previously faced a ban in 2023 for allegedly disrupting \u201csocial harmony\u201d and spreading indecent content. That prohibition was lifted only after company executives pledged to adhere to Nepali laws, including the country\u2019s 2018 ban on pornography websites.Think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) noted that TikTok holds unique political weight in Nepal. Many young users, particularly those aged 16 to 24, used the platform to campaign for the restoration of the Hindu state and monarchy \u2014 abolished in 2008. ORF argued that sparing TikTok from the latest restrictions reflected the app\u2019s central role in political mobilisation, especially among groups dissatisfied with Oli\u2019s government.<\/p>\n

TikTok\u2019s growing reach in Nepal<\/p>\n

TikTok\u2019s influence among Nepal\u2019s youth has been expanding rapidly. As ORF reported, the platform is not merely a site for entertainment but also a tool for political expression, with young users mobilising around issues from corruption scandals to demands for systemic change.<\/p>\n

Many of the youngsters aged between 16 and 24 years who are now involved in political movements for the restoration of Hindu state and monarchical institution mostly used TikTok to propagate their views.<\/p>\n

An article in ORF<\/p>\n

With youth unemployment at 20% last year, according to World Bank data, and more than 2,000 young people leaving Nepal daily in search of work abroad, TikTok has become an outlet for frustration and activism. Its role in fuelling political dissent highlights why banning it could have intensified unrest even further.<\/p>\n

China ties and political calculations<\/p>\n

The decision not to block TikTok also came as Oli deepened ties with Beijing. On August 30, days before the protests, he met President Xi Jinping in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Xi hailed Nepal as a \u201cpeace-loving neighbour\u201d and reaffirmed China\u2019s readiness to enhance Belt and Road cooperation, connectivity projects, and strategic trust.Oli, in turn, reassured Beijing of Nepal\u2019s commitment to the \u201cone-China principle\u201d and pledged not to allow any force to use Nepali soil to undermine Chinese interests. According to Chinese state media, he also welcomed greater collaboration in trade, technology, climate response and security under Xi\u2019s Global Development and Global Security Initiatives.By leaving TikTok untouched, the government unwittingly handed Gen Z a rallying tool-one that played no small role in Oli\u2019s downfall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mass protests rocked Nepal this week after the government briefly blocked popular social media platforms, including Facebook, X…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6109,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[114,184,85,46,7141,7140,7138,7139,7142],"class_list":["post-6108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-kp-sharma-oli-resignation","tag-nepal-protests","tag-nepal-unrest","tag-tiktok-ban-in-nepal","tag-tiktoks-role-in-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}