Nepal: Unlawful Use of Force During ‘Gen Z’ Protest
Security forces in Nepal used disproportionate force against youth-led protests on September 8, 2025, indiscriminately firing on protesters multiple times.
(New York) – Security forces inNepal used disproportionate force against youth-led protests on September 8, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The interim government led by former chief justice Sushila Karki, which took charge after the prime minister was forced to resign due to the protests, should investigate the excessive use of force as well asarson and mob attacks on individuals and buildings the following day, September 9, including those who may have ordered any unlawful acts.
The Karki government has createda judicial commission of inquiry tasked with investigating the deaths of at least76 people killed nationwide in the 2 days of violence, around 47 of them in Kathmandu, including 3 policemen. Human Rights Watch interviewed 52 witnesses, victims, journalists, medical professionals, politicians, and sources close to the security forces; verified photographs and videos posted to social media or shared with researchers; and visited hospitals and the scenes of protests and arson attacks. The research focused on Kathmandu.
Simara tense after Gen Z youths and UML cadres clash
Daylong curfew imposed. Simara Airport flights suspended briefly after gate vandalised.
Authorities in Bara, a district in Madhesh Province, clamped a curfew in Simara and its vicinity after clashes broke out between Gen Z protesters and the CPN-UML activists. The UML senior party leaders were scheduled to arrive in the area for a youth mobilisation event of the party.
Police fired teargas canisters after the confrontation escalated near Simara Airport, forcing the airport to halt operations. The UML had been preparing for days to hold its ‘Youth Awakening Campaign’ in Parwanipur. According to local authorities, security surveillance had already been stepped up following online calls by Gen Z activists to disrupt the function.
Gen Z leader Samrat Upadhyay posted on Facebook urging young people to demonstrate in Simara against what he called the ‘outgoing murderous government’. “We were protesting peacefully when the UML cadres attacked us,” said Upadhyay. He claimed that several youths sustained injuries and were later treated at Simara Hospital. The District Security Committee held an emergency meeting and clamped curfew effective from 12:30 pm to 8 pm covering a 500-metre radius around key areas, including the airport. Kathmandu Post
Nepalis being duped into joining ‘fake’ universities in UAE
Education Minister Pun says an investigation is underway.
Nepali students defrauded in various cities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by “fake” colleges and universities have been knocking the doors of different government agencies, demanding action against several education consultancies that sent them there. Hundreds of Nepali students were lured by education consultancies in Nepal, assuring them of international degrees and part-time jobs; only after reaching their respective colleges did they realise they had been cheated.
Students who returned home have lodged complaints at Nepal’s embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Many of these so-called universities operate from small premises in UAE free zones and deliver classes online. Most affected students paid between Rs750,000 to Rs1.5 million in fees and charges to consultancies. The Education Minister has warned against moving to the UAE for study and said a thorough investigation is underway. Kathmandu Post
World Children’s Day being observed today
KATHMANDU: The World Children’s Day 2025 is being observed across the globe, including Nepal today under the theme “My day, my rights.” The theme focuses on amplifying children’s voices and the importance of their rights while another prominent theme “For Every Child, Every Right,” emphasizes that every child deserves affection, care, and the opportunity to grow. UNICEF has appealed to all to amplify children’s voices and stand up for the rights of every child. Nepal News
September 8
On September 8, between around 12:30 and 4 p.m., police used lethal force to disperse young people after they gathered around the parliament, shooting people in the head, chest, and abdomen. Witness accounts and analyzed footage do not show the grave and imminent danger to life that would justify the intentional use of lethal force. Police gunfire continued intermittently for hours. Human Rights Watch documented incidents in which protesters and bystanders were shot despite not posing an apparent lethal threat. The report documents arrests, beatings, hospital entries by police, attacks on ambulances, injuries to journalists, and the failure to protect people and property during the second day of violence. Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch quoted Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director: “The recent violence in Nepal included serious human rights violations, and those responsible should be held accountable, whether they are security forces or political actors.” The organisation called for independent, time-bound, and transparent investigations and prosecutions of credible allegations against both security forces and perpetrators of mob violence.
Add Your Perspective
- What impact do you think the HRW findings will have on the ongoing inquiries and transitional government actions?
- How should local authorities balance public order and the right to protest in the wake of the September events?
- What measures could prevent student-targeting education consultancies from operating abroad?
- How can Nepal amplify children’s voices while the country grapples with political unrest?