Spread of Anti-Government Protests Across Asia Including Indonesia, Nepal Appoints First Female Prime Minister Amid Protest Demands

Expansion of Anti-Government Protests Led by Gen Z in Asia
‘From Sri Lanka to Nepal’ Four Countries Engulfed by Unrest
Beyond Outbursts of Anger, Driving Political Change

The mass anti-government protests in Nepal have entered a new phase with the appointment of a new prime minister. Sparked by the government’s decision to block access to social media, the demonstrations culminated in the dissolution of parliament and the calling of snap elections, translating public anger into political change. With this, the number of Asian nations witnessing large-scale and violent protests within the past year has grown to four: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. While the immediate catalysts varied, analysts note that at the core lay deep-rooted economic problems — soaring youth unemployment, widening income disparity, and entrenched corruption among the ruling elite.

Nepal’s First Female Prime Minister to Lead Interim Government Until Elections

According to Reuters and other outlets on the 15th (local time), Nepalese President Ram Chandra Paudel announced on the 12th the dissolution of parliament and set March 5 next year for snap elections. Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, a candidate supported by protesters, was appointed as successor to Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who resigned on the 9th. In Nepal’s parliamentary system, the prime minister wields executive authority while the president serves a ceremonial role as head of state. Karki, the nation’s first female prime minister, will soon appoint new ministers to form a cabinet and lead an interim government for six months until the elections.

Karki’s nomination reflected the protesters’ demands. After Oli’s resignation, the youth group Hami Nepal, which had spearheaded the demonstrations, insisted “it has to be Karki.” With 72 fatalities and major government facilities torched, the president, vested with appointment powers, accepted their demand. A staunch anti-corruption campaigner, Karki participated in pro-democracy movements against Nepal’s monarchy in the 1990s as a lawyer. Appointed Chief Justice in 2016, she won public trust with resolute rulings in high-profile corruption cases.

The latest protests erupted on the 5th when the government blocked access to 26 social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and X, citing the need to curb misinformation. Protesters charged that authorities were attempting to suppress anti-corruption activism online and took to the streets. With widespread discontent over corruption, incompetence, and economic instability, young people joined in droves, spreading demonstrations from Kathmandu to Biratnagar in the southeast and Pokhara in the west. As protests turned violent, authorities imposed curfews and deployed the military. Clashes between protesters, police, and prison escapees left at least 72 dead.

Indonesian Protesters Enraged by Death of Young Delivery Rider

On the 28th of last month, before Nepal, nationwide protests in Indonesia left at least eight dead, 1,240 arrested, and hundreds injured in a bloody confrontation. The unrest erupted after reports that all 580 members of parliament had been receiving monthly housing allowances of $3,200 since last September. The allowance was ten times the monthly minimum wage in Jakarta, sparking outrage as public services such as education and healthcare faced a $200 billion budget cut.

The death of 21-year-old delivery rider Afan Kurniawan further inflamed protests. On the 28th, while delivering food on his motorbike near parliament, he was run over and killed by a police armored vehicle. Footage of the incident spread across social media, prompting demonstrators to rally outside police headquarters in Jakarta demanding the resignation of National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. In Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, protesters tore down fences, torched vehicles, and stormed the police headquarters. In Bali, hundreds also gathered to demonstrate in front of local police offices.

On the 9th, President Prabowo Subianto dismissed five cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani. Parliament pledged to abolish the housing allowance from October. Yet local protests continue, as demonstrators’ demands go far beyond allowances or police brutality. Protesters are pressing for budget transparency, prevention of mass layoffs, protection of contract workers, resolution of minimum wage and dispatch labor disputes, enforcement of asset seizure laws against corruption, and a review of economic and employment policies to address inequality.

Bangladesh and Beyond, Protests Against Corruption and Inequality Spread

Beyond Indonesia and Nepal, other Asian countries have also been swept by anti-government demonstrations over the past year. Bangladesh offers a prime example where protests toppled a regime. Ostensibly triggered by a civil service quota system disadvantageous to ordinary youths, discontent was exacerbated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tax policies — corporate tax cuts (from 27.5% to 25.0%) paired with a VAT hike (from 15% to 25%) — perceived as favoring the wealthy. Although Bangladesh recorded average annual GDP growth exceeding 6% for two decades and rose to become the world’s 32nd largest economy, decades of “growth without distribution” deepened inequality.

Corruption among the wealthy elite, especially in the export-led textile industry, further fractured society. The so-called kotipoti — upper-class merchants and traders — held bank accounts representing less than 1% of the total, yet accounted for 43.4% of total deposits. Their fortunes were tainted by illicit practices: between 2009 and 2018, 17.3% of customs duties went uncollected, with an estimated $8.27 billion annually siphoned off by exporters falsifying trade invoices.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, has endured ongoing unrest since 2022. In the aftermath of the pandemic, inflation soared to 30.2% for food and cooking gas, while rolling blackouts became routine. Public fury spilled into the streets. In July of that year, protesters stormed the presidential palace, forcing President Mahinda Rajapaksa — who had dominated politics as prime minister and president for 18 years since 2004 — to resign, blamed for driving the country into sovereign default. Yet persistent inflation and unemployment have kept the nation in a state of emergency.

Reflecting on these developments, NBC News observed that while the immediate sparks for unrest varied across countries, “the common denominators are job shortages, pervasive corruption, and deepening economic inequality.” It highlighted the leading role of Generation Z (born 1997–2012), mobilized through social media platforms. Their grievances, it noted, “have translated into political momentum,” driving not just protests but also tangible political change — from appointing heads of government to reshuffling cabinets.