Following the demonstrations by Gen-z on September 8 and 9, which had agendas including ending corruption and establishing good governance, the Commission has directed the government to take the issue seriously regarding peace, security, and good governance, as the morale of security personnel weakened, creating potential challenges for maintaining peace and security. The Commission stated in a press release issued on September 26, 2025, that it has been continuously monitoring nationwide the damage to public property and the state of human rights after the demonstrations.
While the protests on the first day were peaceful in the morning, incidents of arson and firing on protesters in the afternoon resulted in some deaths, turning the event violent, according to the Commission. The press release noted that because some protesters died from gunfire by security personnel on the first day, there was widespread arson and vandalism on the second day. Significant damage was caused to government buildings, party offices, private homes, commercial buildings, educational institutions, media houses, and police stations due to the arson, the Commission reported.
It was further stated that during the arson and vandalism, some individuals died from fire, government records were destroyed, physical property was damaged, weapons of security personnel were looted, and some items were stolen. Damage to educational institutions disrupted children’s learning and also affected their psychological well-being, the Commission noted.
The Commission highlighted that the government’s inability to assess potential causes before the event indicated serious weaknesses. Although some community assistance helped repair certain security and police buildings destroyed by fire, not all offices could be rebuilt, causing obstacles in service delivery, including security and police services, according to the Commission. Serious issues were also noted in the return of prisoners from prisons and child reform centres and in overall prison management.
Therefore, the Commission urged that measures be taken to boost the morale of security personnel and strengthen the state of peace and security, and that special attention be paid to the reconstruction of government structures damaged by arson and vandalism. The Commission also requested all relevant stakeholders to support the reform steps taken by the government in the evolving circumstances. Additionally, the Commission directed the Government of Nepal to assess damage to private property affected during the incident, identify the causes of such violent events, and create an environment to prevent similar violent incidents in the future, as stated in a press release by the Commission’s spokesperson and Undersecretary, Dr. Tikaram Pokharel.
Deepak Prasad Ghimire