Anti-corruption demonstrators in Nepal have defied an indefinite curfew, holding demonstrations and shouting slogans against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, a day after 19 people died in violent protests.
Mr Oli's government lifted a social media ban after protests turned violent, after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters trying to storm parliament on Monday.
But anger against the government showed no signs of abating on Tuesday.
Protesters gathered in front of parliament and other places in the capital Kathmandu, in defiance of an indefinite curfew imposed by authorities.
Cabinet spokesman and Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said the government had rolled back the social media ban imposed last week.
"We have withdrawn the shutdown of the social media. They are working now," Mr Gurung told Reuters.
Mr Oli, 73, was sworn in to his fourth term in July last year as the country’s 14th prime minister since monarchy was abolished in 2008.
Two of his cabinet colleagues resigned late on Monday, saying they did not want to continue, citing moral grounds.
Organisers of the protests, which spread from Kathmandu to other cities in the Himalayan country, have called them "demonstrations by gen Z".
They said the protests reflected young people's widespread frustration with the government's perceived lack of action to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities.
"Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media," demonstrators outside Parliament chanted, waving the red and blue national flags during Monday's rally.
The indefinite curfew within the Kathmandu city area is aimed at stopping more protests.
"No protests, mass gatherings, meetings, or assemblies of people will be allowed during the curfew," Kathmandu district administrator Chhabilal Rijal said in a notice.
Mr Oli said he was saddened by the incidents of violence due to "infiltration from different selfish centres".
The government would pay relief for the families of the dead and provide free treatment for the injured persons, he added.
"An investigation panel will be set up to find out the causes, assess losses and suggest measures within 15 days to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future," Mr Oli said in a late-night statement on Monday.
Government wanted to block popular platforms
The government last week blocked access to several social media platforms, which angered many of the country's young.
Officials said the shutdown was for those social media platforms that had failed to register with the government, amid a crackdown on fake IDs, misinformation and hate speech.
As the unrest broke out, the government had been trying to pass a law it said was about ensuring social media platforms were responsible.
Critics, however, said it would be used to censor opposition to the government.
Facebook, X and YouTube were among the platforms that were restricted in Nepal.
TikTok, Viber and three other platforms registered with the government and have continued to operate.
TikTok was earlier banned for about a year for disrupting "social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials".
That was lifted after the company said it would comply with laws including a ban of pornographic sites.
ABC/Reuters
