(TibetanReview.net, Sep13’25) – The Dalai Lama has on Sep 13 written to former Chief Justice of Nepal Sushila Karki, congratulating her on being appointed Prime Minister of Nepal. The appointment is for an interim period pending new elections next year which will pave the way for the installation of a new government in the aftermath of what is called the Gen Z protests which gripped Nepal over Sep 8-9.
The Dalai Lama wished Karki “every success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of Nepal in these challenging times.”
Nepal is home to around 20,000 Tibetan refugees, most of them undocumented, while its Tibet-border regions are populated largely by citizens of Tibetan ethnicity or origin with flourishing Tibetan Buddhist culture.
The protests were prompted by the government’s Sep 4 shutdown of 26 social media platforms but soon became an outlet for the widely shared public frustration with and disdain for official corruption and ostentatious display of wealth by political leaders and their families.
The protest had no formal leadership, The demonstrations escalated when protesters attempted to enter the Federal Parliament building, leading security forces to respond with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. It led to a number of people being killed and many others injured.
Later in the evening, the government lifted the ban on social media platforms. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned. A curfew was imposed in several major cities including Kathmandu, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Butwal, Pokhara, Itahari, and Damak.
The next day Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, from the Communist Party of Nepal UML, resigned and reportedly fled to an army barrack amid continuing protests nationwide. Protesters set fire to many government buildings, including part of Singha Durbar, the administrative headquarters of Nepal; the adjacent building of the Supreme Court of Nepal; the president’s residence at Sital Niwas; the prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar, and the headquarters of the Communist Party of Nepal UML.
Also set ablaze were the parliament building as well as the homes of various government ministers and members of parliament. The Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu and the Ministry of Health building in Ramshahpath were also burned.
More ministers as well as MP’s resigned while some left the Communist Party of Nepal UML. The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) was closed and taken over by the Army after being targeted by protesters to prevent political leaders from fleeing.
With the government in disarray and law and order totally out of gear, the Army “took charge” and imposed curfew in several cities including Kathmandu, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Butwal, Pokhara, Itahari, and Damak.
Protesters then held online discussions, followed by a vote, on Sep 10 evening to select Sushila Karki as their choice for the country’s interim prime minister. More than 100,000 citizens reportedly used Discord, an online communication software, to propose her name for meetings with the Army.
In the morning of Sep 11, a meeting was held at the Bhadrakali army headquarters that included President Ramchandra Poudel, Nepal’s Chief of the Army Staff General Ashok Raj Sigdel Chettri. and Gen Z representatives.
On the following day, Karki was inaugurated as interim prime minister. President Poudel then dissolved parliament and set Mar 5 as the date for the next general election. Curfew in Kathmandu was lifted on Sep 13.
The death toll was reported to have reached 51 as of Sep 12, including 21 protesters, nine prisoners, three police officers, and 18 others, with more than 1,300 people injured nationwide.
More than 13,500 prisoners were reported to have escaped from prisons nationwide, although some were caught and handed over to police later on.
(Source: Various national and international news outlets and agency reports over Sep 9-13, 2025)