Gen Z protests sweep Asia, showing youth power and limits

A wave of protests led by Generation Z has surged across Asia, with Nepal at the center where thousands pressed for accountability and a rebalancing of political influence. In Nepal, clashes between demonstrators and police left scores dead as crowds stormed parliament and government offices, contributing to the resignation of prime minister KP Sharma Oli. By some tallies, more than 70 people were killed in the unrest, signaling the scale of anger over perceived corruption and elite privilege.

In Kathmandu, a 19-year-old student named Aditya and four friends formed a group they called Gen Z Rebels. They used AI tools and social platforms, including ChatGPT, Grok, DeepSeek and Veed, to produce 50 clips about nepo kids and corruption. The first video, a 25-second montage set to ABBA's The Winner Takes It All, pulled together wedding pictures and headlines about a politician's family and drew rapid attention online, amassing about 135,000 views within a day. From there, related clips circulated on TikTok and other platforms, with organizers coordinating through Discord and other apps to map strategy and next steps.

The episodes in Nepal were not isolated. Across Southeast Asia, Indonesians and Filipinos joined in large demonstrations, with tens of thousands gathering in Manila and protests spreading to multiple cities in Indonesia. In Nepal, authorities cited security concerns amid the unrest, while in Indonesia police and protesters clashed in parts of the capital and cities across the archipelago. In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto condemned behavior he described as leaning toward treason and terrorism and the destruction of public facilities, even as some lawmakers faced questions about housing allowances and other perks that critics say fed public disillusionment. In the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos said protesters had legitimate concerns about corruption but urged nonviolence, and an independent commission was created to investigate possible misuse of flood prevention funds.

Technology has amplified the reach and speed of the protests. Analysts say the current wave is enabled by ubiquitous mobile phones, social media, messaging apps and, increasingly, AI, which allows activists to craft and spread messages rapidly. The cross-border solidarity is evident in shared symbols and hashtags; a skull logo popularized by Indonesian demonstrators has been adopted by protesters in the Philippines and Nepal, and the SEAblings campaign has trended online as supporters in different countries express solidarity. This level of pan-Asian online coordination marks a step beyond earlier regional movements such as the Milk Tea Alliance, which began in 2019 but was amplified by newer platforms and faster image sharing.

Yet experts caution that digital mobilization alone may not produce lasting political transformation. The leaderless nature of many online protests can help organizers evade immediate clampdowns but makes sustained political decision-making difficult. Change requires people to shift from a disparate online movement to a group with a longer term vision, with bonds that are physical as well as online, says Steven Feldstein, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Nepal protests echo a broader history. A 2006 uprising in Nepal helped oust the monarchy, but the country subsequently cycled through 17 governments and endured slow economic growth. Narayan Adhikari, co-founder of Accountability Lab, notes that earlier movements sometimes lost their moral ground once they entered formal politics. He adds that this generation must avoid worshipping leaders. Aditya, for his part, insists this time will be different. We are continuously learning from the mistakes of our previous generation, he says. They were worshipping their leaders like a god. Now in this generation, we do not follow anyone like a god.

Governments have acknowledged protesters concerns in several countries and, in some cases, made concessions. Indonesia has scrapped some legislative perks for lawmakers, including housing allowances, and the Philippines has established an independent commission to examine possible misuses of flood prevention funds, with President Marcos promising there will be no sacred cows in the probe. In Nepal, authorities have defended the crackdown on social media as a security measure while investigators review the violence.

Looking ahead, observers say digital-driven protests can be powerful accelerants but rarely deliver immediate, sustained political change without durable organizing. A number of analysts caution that without long-term political structures and cross-cutting coalitions, momentum can fade as the online energy wanes. The stakes are high in countries where corruption remains entrenched and where social mobility is limited, and the Gen Z generation is prepared to push farther, even as it weighs the cost of ongoing confrontation.

The story in Nepal also underscores how a younger generation frames its struggle. Aditya's group wants to redefine protest culture, insisting the generation will not bow to established power. The question remains how governments will respond as the next wave of students and workers begins to organize in more places across the region.