Latest news with #PrithviSubbaGurung
India Today
25-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Nepal warns Meta platforms to conform to domestic laws or face ban
The Nepal government on Friday warned Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, that it either register under the Nepalese law within seven days or face a nationwide at a programme organised by the National Information Commission, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung said that despite repeated requests, Meta has failed to comply with Nepal's legal requirement to register its operations in the that the time given under the third notice had also expired a few days ago, Gurung warned Meta that if it fails to register within seven days, it will be banned. "Meta's Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram are in operation in Nepal. Every hour, thousands of rupees may be flowing from Nepal to Meta's office (abroad). Meta should be registered in Nepal."I cannot extend the deadline any further -- Meta must register within seven days, or it will be banned," the minister government has argued that tech giants operating in Nepal should be legally accountable under local laws, including taxation, consumer protection, and data governance to local media reports, Ruzan Sarwar, Meta's Public Policy Manager for the Asia-Pacific region, and a liaison officer have reportedly arrived in Nepal. However, they are yet to officially contact the relevant authorities in Watch
Al Arabiya
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Nepal investigates deadly violence in pro-monarchy rally
Nepal's government is investigating deadly violence that occurred during a rally by the supporters of the former king seeking the restoration of constitutional monarchy, a minister said on Saturday. Two people were killed on Friday and at least 112 injured, including 77 security officials, authorities said, after police used force to stop the stone-throwing crowd from marching towards the parliament building in the capital Kathmandu. Protesters vandalized homes, shops, a hospital, a political party office, vehicles and a shopping mall and snatched a weapon from the police, the authorities in the Himalayan nation said. 'This is sheer vandalism, arson, looting and anarchy. It cannot be a protest,' cabinet spokesman Prithvi Subba Gurung, the minister of communication and information technology, told Reuters. Rishiram Tiwari, Kathmandu's chief district officer, said 105 protesters including some pro-monarchy leaders were taken into custody. Nepal's 239-year-old monarchy was abolished in 2008 by a specially elected assembly as part of a deal with Maoist former rebels, ending an insurgency that killed 17,000 people between 1996 and 2006. The last king, 77-year-old Gyanendra, lives as a commoner with his family in a private house in Kathmandu. Political instability has rocked Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries, with 14 governments since the abolition of the monarchy, hampering economic growth and discouraging investment. Public frustration has risen over the failure of successive governments to deliver on commitments to develop the economy of the country, a natural buffer between Asian giants China and India.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nepal investigates deadly violence in pro-monarchy rally
By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's government is investigating deadly violence that occurred during a rally by the supporters of the former king seeking the restoration of constitutional monarchy, a minister said on Saturday. Two people were killed on Friday and at least 112 injured, including 77 security officials, authorities said, after police used force to stop the stone-throwing crowd from marching towards the parliament building in the capital Kathmandu. Protesters vandalised homes, shops, a hospital, a political party office, vehicles and a shopping mall and snatched a weapon from the police, the authorities in the Himalayan nation said. 'This is sheer vandalism, arson, looting and anarchy. It cannot be a protest,' cabinet spokesman Prithvi Subba Gurung, the minister of communication and information technology, told Reuters. Rishiram Tiwari, Kathmandu's chief district officer, said 105 protesters including some pro-monarchy leaders were taken into custody. Nepal's 239-year-old monarchy was abolished in 2008 by a specially elected assembly as part of a deal with Maoist former rebels, ending an insurgency that killed 17,000 people between 1996 and 2006. The last king, 77-year-old Gyanendra, lives as a commoner with his family in a private house in Kathmandu. Political instability has rocked Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries, with 14 governments since the abolition of the monarchy, hampering economic growth and discouraging investment. Public frustration has risen over the failure of successive governments to deliver on commitments to develop the economy of the country, a natural buffer between Asian giants China and India.
Reuters
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Nepal investigates deadly violence in pro-monarchy rally
KATHMANDU, March 29 (Reuters) - Nepal's government is investigating deadly violence that occurred during a rally by the supporters of the former king seeking the restoration of constitutional monarchy, a minister said on Saturday. Two people were killed on Friday and at least 112 injured, including 77 security officials, authorities said, after police used force to stop the stone-throwing crowd from marching towards the parliament building in the capital Kathmandu. Protesters vandalised homes, shops, a hospital, a political party office, vehicles and a shopping mall and snatched a weapon from the police, the authorities in the Himalayan nation said. 'This is sheer vandalism, arson, looting and anarchy. It cannot be a protest,' cabinet spokesman Prithvi Subba Gurung, the minister of communication and information technology, told Reuters. Rishiram Tiwari, Kathmandu's chief district officer, said 105 protesters including some pro-monarchy leaders were taken into custody. Nepal's 239-year-old monarchy was abolished in 2008 by a specially elected assembly as part of a deal with Maoist former rebels, ending an insurgency that killed 17,000 people between 1996 and 2006. The last king, 77-year-old Gyanendra, lives as a commoner with his family in a private house in Kathmandu. Political instability has rocked Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries, with 14 governments since the abolition of the monarchy, hampering economic growth and discouraging investment. Public frustration has risen over the failure of successive governments to deliver on commitments to develop the economy of the country, a natural buffer between Asian giants China and India.
Times of Oman
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Nepal tables bill to tab social media despite fear of censorship
Kathmandu: Nepal has moved forward with the controversial "Social Media Bill" despite claims of attempted censorship and curtailment of Freedom of Expression and Speech. Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung tabled the Bill in the National Assembly on Sunday despite criticism from opposition and social media users. "In order to systematize, limit and for safety, formulation of special law for social media has been practiced all across the globe. In Nepal as well, development in field of Information Communication Technology (ICT), the use of social media is rising. Making right and proper application of social media, social harmony, cultural tolerance and promotion of good governance, by making the social media operators and users responsible by making it limited, secure and organized; to regulate it law is required," Minister Gurung said as he tabled the bill in the upper house. The Bill has proposed the provisions for license (with a two-year validity) for any companies, firms or institutions to operate digital platforms and renewal of the permission, granting the rights to authorities concerned to ban on the operation of such platforms and the remove the contents in violations of the terms and conditions. It has proposed conditions for the users of social sites as well. The opposition as well as the social media users have been claiming these provisions clandestinely attempt to impose censorship and curtail the basic human rights. Earlier, last week, former Education Minister and member of parliament from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Sumana Shrestha dragged attention of government to discuss the bill with public before moving forward in meeting of the lower house of parliament. "While drafting the bills has there been any consultations and discussions with those whom it is meant for? It again has been proven, whether it is left, right or the center aligned that no one really cares what people want. I want the government to pay attention to this issue and request them to call the youths, talk with them and listen to the voice of people," Shrestha said. The bill has disapproved the social media contents capable of hurting the dignity of others, trolling, hate speech and distortion of information. Similarly, post, like, repost, live streaming, subscribe, comment, tag, hashtag or mention with wrong intention is liable to fine up to Nepali Rupees (NRs) 500 thousand to users of social sites. Debate has arisen over the provision fearing repercussions from the government and senior post officials as it intends to ban on satirical contents. "Now, by bringing the Social Media Regulation Bill, you are trying to legally control freedom of expression and press? Are you above the sovereignty of the citizen? Above the constitution? Are you the master and the citizens the slave? The bill currently registered in the parliament for the operation, use and regulation of social media is objectionable. In the name of regulating social media, it not only stifles the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of expression, but also controls the freedom of the press. In this bill, citizens are being threatened with imprisonment and fines step by step," Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Prime Minister and Chairman of the opposition CPN-Maoist Center said addressing a meeting of the House of Representatives last week. The Clause 12 (H) of the introduced bill mandates users of social media to 'reveal their identity to the social media platforms in order to use the platform'. A section of the general public is hailing this clause as a step to ensure accountability for the effect of public opinions shared on social media while others are criticizing it for raging head-on against the people's right to privacy. Similarly, Clause 12 (J) has divided opinion on whether it infringes on freedom of speech, privacy, and the right to communication. The clause states, "For the purpose of investigating or inquiring into a crime, the details of a social media user must be provided to the concerned authorities. This means that the users' privacy will not be safeguarded. The user will be required to submit all their data to the relevant regulatory body. Failure to comply could result in a penalty ranging from NRs 2.5 million to NRs 10 million." Several provisions in the bill contradict Nepal's constitution, while vague and incomplete terminologies raise concerns. Critics fear the government will exploit these loopholes to interpret the law in its favor. Another major concern is the government's direct role as the plaintiff in all related cases, giving authorities greater control over how they define and enforce the law. The bill requires a Rapid Response Team to handle such proceedings. Typically, authorities form these teams when immediate action is needed in the public interest, such as during natural disasters. However, the government has introduced a provision to create one specifically for this purpose. The bill directly violates Articles 17 and 19 of the Constitution of Nepal. Article 17 guarantees the right to freedom, stating, "No person shall be deprived of personal liberty." However, the bill does more than restrict personal freedom--it actively penalises individuals for posting, sharing, liking, reposting, live streaming, subscribing, commenting, tagging, using hashtags, or mentioning others on social media. Clause 16 (2) of the bill explicitly prohibits individuals from engaging in these activities with malicious intent: "One must not post, share, like, repost, live stream, subscribe, comment, tag, use hashtags, or mention others on social media with malicious intent." While the bill clearly criminalizes liking or commenting, it fails to define "malicious intent" leaving its interpretation ambiguous. Since the bill does not clarify the term's scope or meaning, anyone accused under this provision could simply claim, "I had no malicious intent," making enforcement arbitrary and subjective. The bill creates a loophole that allows government officials to potentially avoid accountability. If they act against the bill's provisions, they can claim, "I did not act with malicious intent," when the provision is invoked. Whether they can escape responsibility remains unclear. The bill also includes a provision that allows for a fine of up to NRs 5,00,000. Article 19 of Nepal's Constitution guarantees the right to communication, stating, "No prior restriction shall be imposed on the publication or broadcast of any news, editorial, article, composition, or other written, audio, or audiovisual material through any medium such as electronic publishing, broadcasting, or printing."
