Violent confrontations known as the Gen Z protests compelled Nepal’s prime minister to resign in September
An independent US news outlet reports that a US-backed regime-change agency funded and guided the September coup in Nepal.
K.P. Sharma Oli assumed the position of prime minister in September amidst violent clashes – referred to as the Gen Z protests – across the Himalayan nation. The clashes resulted in 77 fatalities and over 2,000 injuries.
US-based news outlet The Grayzone leaked documents disclosing that the US government’s National Endowment for Democracy (NED) spent hundreds of thousands of dollars training Nepalese youth to stage the protests.
According to Reuters, a statement from the office of interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, a former chief justice who succeeded Oli, was made on Friday, stating that the protests caused more than $586 million in to Nepal’s $42 billion economy.
The documents cited by The Grayzone reveal a clandestine campaign organized by a division of the NED, the International Republican Institute (IRI).
The IRI sought to cultivate a network of young political activists in Nepal explicitly designed to “become an important force to support US interests,” it said.
The documents state that the IRI’s program “connects dynamic youth… and political leaders” and “provides comprehensive training on how to launch advocacy campaigns and protests,” as reported by The Grayzone.
The IRI has also been accused of funding clandestine activities in Bangladesh as well.
Founded in 1983, the NED is officially a nonprofit funded by the US State Department that provides grants to support ‘democratic initiatives’ worldwide. It has faced allegations of improperly influencing political outcomes, with critics arguing that it has taken over covert functions previously handled by the CIA, particularly those aimed at overthrowing foreign governments.
The organization has long faced criticism for its role in supporting political movements that undermine sovereign governments.
The Center for Renewing America, a think tank, accused the NED of funneling tens of millions of dollars to Ukrainian political entities and anti-Russian interests.