Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). Nepal has experienced its most serious unrest in decades. Many people have been killed, and Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli has resigned. Are we seeing the new US script for the region here? If a direct clash between China and India is not possible, will the country between the two – Nepal – simply be destabilised?
Nepal is in the midst of a serious political crisis: after two days of violent protests triggered by a ban on social media and allegations of corruption, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli resigned on 9 September. The demonstrations led by ‘Generation Z’ urbanised youth have left at least 19 dead and over 300 injured, including many young people. Protesters set fire to the parliament, government buildings and politicians’ homes, leading to curfews and the closure of Kathmandu airport.
The US media are reporting extensively on the events, emphasising the role of young people and the instability in the region, while official US statements are currently limited to travel advisories. Media reports from the region, on the other hand, speculate about external geopolitical influences as the trigger for the unrest. International reporting focuses primarily on Nepal’s strategic position as a buffer state between India and China, as well as the influence of the US.
US influence: anti-corruption narrative and deep state speculation
The US is primarily discussed as a potential actor in the background, as it stands to gain the most from the protests against Prime Minister Oli’s pro-Chinese stance. The news portal India Today mentioned on 9 September 2025 alleged reports about ‘US President Trump and the involvement of the deep state’ that are intended to cause confusion. India Today portrays the unrest as a US-led attempt to break China’s influence in Nepal – similar to Bangladesh.
Al Jazeera also speculates on 9 September that the youth protests against corruption and nepotism are more likely to serve US foreign policy interests. However, the reports emphasise that there is no evidence of direct US funding of the protests. Instead, there is speculation about indirect support from NGOs. Prime Minister Oli, for his part, described the protesters as ‘puppets of foreign companies.’ (Hindustan Times, 9 September 2025).
Was Prime Minister Oli’s pro-Chinese stance the real trigger?
Oli’s closeness to China is portrayed in some media outlets in the region as a key reason for the protests. He had only recently returned from China. The New York Times of 9 September 2025 describes Oli as the leader of the pro-Chinese Communist Party CPN-UML, framing the protests against his government as a reaction to Chinese influence.
India’s influence and interest in regional stability
India’s role is often highlighted as a key external factor, as Nepal is India’s immediate neighbour and is economically dependent on it. Reports such as the one in India Today on 9 September emphasise the ‘curious timing’ of the protests: they escalated shortly before Oli’s planned trip to India and after his return from China. Experts quoted warn that Nepal’s neighbourhood is becoming a ‘playground for various external forces,’ with India as the stabilising factor.
Others warn that India could exploit the unrest to secure its own influence in Nepal. An article in the India Times also compares the protests to those in Bangladesh in 2024, where a student movement against Sheikh Hasina’s pro-Indian government escalated and led to its downfall. The Times of India and The Hindu both address India’s concern about regional instability, as Nepal is already the second neighbouring country after Bangladesh to experience serious unrest in the last twelve months.
