Right to protest under threat

Despite the strengthening of human rights, the repression of protests persists in Nepal and worldwide.

On December 29, 2023, a demonstration in Balkumari, Lalitpur, carried out by youths who had failed their language proficiency test for shipbuilding jobs and were demanding they be allowed to retake language tests for work in South Korea, took a tragic turn. Police resorted to the use of lethal force to disperse the protestors. In the ensuing clash, seven protestors were reportedly injured and two lost their lives . One of the casualties, 23-year-old Sujan Raut, reported ly died after being struck in the chest by a police baton.