SEMO’s Nepal community reacts to the anti-corruption protests that collapsed their government

In this episode,News and Culture Editor, Abby Volz  covers how SEMO’s Nepalese community reflects on anti-corruption protests that toppled Nepal’s government, left dozens dead, and sparked uncertainty about the country’s future.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Arrow on the air. I'm your host, Ella Tinsley,
and today we're covering news and culture editor Abbi Voles's
story on Simo's Nepalese community. In the country of Nepal,
protests broke out in the major cities on Thursday, September eighth.
These demonstrations were primarily led by members of Generation C
to rally against corruption and the social media ban that

(00:22):
took effect on September fourth. While this fight took place
in ocean away from Cape Girardo, Simo is home to
a number of international students and faculty from Nepal. Assistant
Director of International Admissions Felisa Shresta explained that the gen
Z protest was meant to be peaceful.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
The original protest was for anti corruption. So the gen
zs you know, were anyways, they had plans to get
together on September eighth, you know, for peaceful protests. So
they wanted to protest, you know, corruption of the government
that has existed for you know, multi general.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Much of gen Z's frustration stemmed from the vast disparity
between the wealthy ruling class and ordinary working people. Assistant
Biology Professor, doctor Nellishfadan said that many of the working
class in Nepal were forced to go abroad to find jobs.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
They were probably brought up in a country where they
thought they had a lot of promise, new possibilities, right,
but as things unfolded, it seems that there were very
few opportunities. When they actually grew up to be working.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Adults, most people and of that generation were either forced
to go out to foreign countries for as migrant labors,
and they would be doing work by construction or working
in other service sectors in countries in the Middle East

(01:54):
or in Malaysia or Indonesia.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Even with many Nepalese going abroad to find jobs, the
conditions for the work class were not improving. While the
protest on September eighth was intended to be a peaceful
release of frustration, it did not end that way. Nineteen
people were killed in the protests, several of whom were
students in school uniforms.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
So the peaceful protest turned violent because the government gave
the order for the police to shoot. Okay, so there
were shooting that took place that day, September eighth, that
killed twenty school children. So there were actually a lot
of the kids people who were protesting were school children

(02:35):
eighteen nineteen twenty, you know, so from eight year old
to twenty one year old died, you know, people of
that age. So that was the thing that caused you know,
outlash and you know, outrage among the whole nation.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
During the tragic chaos, thousands of miles away in Cape Girardo,
over one hundred Nepalese students gathered outside of Kent Library
to honor those who were killed. The Nepal flag was
sketched in shock by the fountain, surrounded by light candles
and the words please pray for the departed souls. Nepalese
Student Association president Kritan babu Ar y'all helped arrange the memorial,

(03:13):
noting that many of his Nepalese friends were shocked by
the violence in their home country.

Speaker 5 (03:18):
Most of us are like, we're saved, like hearing like
our garnment, Like I don't know who is, but the
garment protestants were like, let us lost their lives.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
Fiote lost their lives. So it was like all of
us were.

Speaker 5 (03:33):
Kri five, like we are here, we can't do anything
except like collineir.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Comes despite the killing on September eighth, the protests did
not stop. On September ninth, the demonstrations as Prime Minister K. P.
Sharma Oli resigned from his position. Several government buildings were burned,
including the Supreme Court, Parliament, and private residence of Oli.
That same day, the social media ban was lifted, but

(04:00):
calm was not restored until that evening, when the Nepal
Army took control of the streets and imposed a nationwide curfew.
On September tenth, negotiations began between the government army and
the protesters. On Friday, September twelfth, Nepal's President ram Chandra
Podell appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Khaki as
interim Prime Minister, the first female to take the position.

(04:23):
The president also declared that the parliament was dissolved and
formal elections would be held on March fifth, twenty twenty six.
Seventy two people were killed and over two thousand were
injured in the wake of the protests. With new interim
government in place, ar Y'all remained skeptical about the current
situation in his country.

Speaker 6 (04:41):
For now, it seems good, but at the same time
life there is another group like they are saying it
might be bad because we are never planned to be
on this situation, so it's in the country instead.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
That's all for this episode of Arrow on the Air.
I'm your ho post Ellatinsley, and I will see you
next time.