KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 12
Leaders of the Nepal Students' Union (NSU) have protested the Social Media Bill, which has been registered in the National Assembly, the upper house of the federal parliament. This makes the NSU the first student-led sister organisation among various political parties to oppose the contentious bill vehemently.
The union's leaders and cadres were seen demonstrating, carrying placards with meaningful messages in favour of the freedom of expression and chanting slogans questioning the bill formulators at Maitighar Mandala.
A central member of the NSU stated that the bill's provisions seriously threaten citizens' freedom of expression, information, and privacy. He demanded that the bill's provisions be amended through open discussion.
It was symbolically protested, with the argument that it violated the right to free expression.
They also 'searched' for another star on the Nepali Congress flag. The four stars in the largest political party in Parliament have special meaning, as they are interpreted as symbols of nationality, democracy, socialism, and freedom of expression. NSU searched for the star representing the freedom of expression today at Maitighar Mandala.
Furthermore, the placards at the protest read slogans such as 'Dear KP Oli, is speaking crime in prosperous Nepal?', 'Regulation is required, not control', and 'Is the government afraid of questions?'.
According to NSU, the social media bill requires people to register their true identities on controversial issues; the definitions of "obscene" and "hate speech" is unclear; the government monitors internet users' activities; the penalties are disproportionate; and the authority to take action is outside the court.
Moreover, the bill has attracted severe criticism from press freedom advocates and organisations working in the sector of protection of free speech.
Media Action Nepal, opposing the Social Media Bill, stated that it threatens civil liberties and press freedom.
"The Government of Nepal (GoN) has strategically presented a Social Media Bill (SMB) in the Upper House with heavy penalties ranging from NPR 50,000 to NPR 10 million to stifle dissenting voices, as imposing heavy penalties is the ultimate way for the authorities to instill an ambience of fear amongst the general public," reads its website.
Similarly, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has also expressed serious concerns about certain provisions of the government's bill on the operation, use, and regulation of social media.
According to the FNJ, citizens must understand that if the bill is not fundamentally changed, it will not regulate social media but will limit citizens' constitutional right to freedom of expression.