Nepalese PM Reportedly Resigns In The Aftermath Of Bloody Demonstration That Killed 19 People

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli/DOK PHOTO via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned amid an anti-corruption demonstration that opposed the curfew indefinitely and clashed with police.

The Oli government lifted social media bans after protests turned violent, killing 19 people and injuring more than 100 people after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters trying to storm parliament on Monday.

This riot is the worst in decades in a poor and pinched Himalayan nation between India and China, and has been battling political instability and economic uncertainty since protests that led to the removal of the monarchy in 2008.

"PM has resigned," Oli's adviser, Prakash Silwal, told Reuters on Tuesday, September 9.

Oli has held meetings with all political parties, saying violence is not in the interests of the nation.

"We have to take a peaceful dialogue to find a solution to any problems," he said.

However, anger against the government shows no sign of easing, as protesters gather in front of parliamentary buildings and other places in the capital Kathmandu, opposing the indefinite curfew imposed by authorities.

Protesters burned tires on several roads, threw stones at police officers and chased them through narrow streets.

Several people watched and recorded videos of the clash with their phones while thick black smoke rose into the sky.

Hundreds of people from several cities near the Indian-Nepal border began marching towards Kathmandu to support the protesters, one of the protesters told Reuters by telephone.

Witnesses also said protesters burned down the homes of some politicians in Kathmandu, and local media reported that the minister was rescued by military helicopters.

Reuters could not immediately verify the information.

"We are still standing here for our future ... We want this country to be corruption-free so that everyone can easily access medical education, hospitals ... and for a bright future," protester Robin Sershtha told Reuters TV.