Some Nepalis in Hong Kong have expressed shock at the ongoing violent unrest in the South Asian country, while also raising concerns about the safety of their family members and the direction the nation is heading in.
Several of them told the Post on Wednesday that they empathised with the youth taking to the streets in the country, but opposed the escalation in violence that was putting lives at risk.
Some said they planned to show their support for those affected in Nepal, including holding a vigil to offer their condolences and raising funds to cover the victims’ funeral expenses.
“We’re in a state of shock, worried and quite uncertain about the future,” said Sanjaya Rai, a PhD student in Hong Kong.
The 31-year-old Nepali said the unrest had been triggered by people’s growing resentment and frustration over corruption, with such emotions becoming a “ticking bomb” and eventually erupting.
“I have close relatives back in Nepal, and I do worry about them ... To make sure they’re OK, we’re having this regular communication with them,” he said.
Rai, who came to Hong Kong when he was about 10, and lives in the city with his parents and younger brother, said his family called or texted his relatives living on the outskirts of the capital, Kathmandu, every few hours to check on them, urging them to stay home.
The protests in Nepal have grown increasingly violent, with at least 19 demonstrators killed by police gunfire and more than 300 people wounded in Kathmandu and other cities.
The immediate trigger for the youth-led demonstrations was last week’s government ban of 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp, after the companies failed to register under new regulations.
The protests then spiralled to reflect broader discontent, with K.P. Sharma Oli’s decision to resign as the country’s prime minister on Tuesday failing to quell the movement.
According to the 2021 population census, Hong Kong is home to about 29,700 Nepalis, who account for 4.8 per cent of the city’s ethnic minority population.
Among them is Aruna Gurung, who said the situation in Nepal and her worries about relatives living there have kept her awake at night.
She said some family members lived close to the parliament building, which was among the sites set on fire during protests in Kathmandu, forcing them to close their windows to fend off the smoke. They had also been left without electricity, she added.
“They could see the whole pool of smoke, and they could not even breathe the air,” Gurung said.
She added that a family member’s children were at one point forced to remain at kindergarten until 7pm due to a curfew and safety concerns.
Gurung, who is a Yau Tsim Mong district councillor, said many members of her community in Hong Kong felt distressed by the unrest.
“Mentally, we are also being affected. I feel very sad. Last night I couldn’t even sleep. I just kept on wondering what’s going on there,” she said.
“It’s a very beautiful city in Kathmandu and Pokhara, but now it’s all destroyed.”
A 21-year-old university student surnamed Gurung said he knew three or four relatives and at least six friends who had joined the protests.
“There’s been a lot of anti-corruption sentiment going around ... there’s a very high youth unemployment rate,” he said. “So there’s always been this growing anger among the youth.”
Gurung said he was born in Hong Kong and had studied in Britain and Nepal before returning to the city, adding that his parents and older sister also lived in Hong Kong.
He said he supported the initial anti-corruption movement, but not the violence that had led to the burning down of public facilities.
Gurung said he attended a memorial event at a restaurant in Jordan on Tuesday, with the event organised by the local Nepali community to pay their condolences to those who had died in the protests.
He added that he planned to organise a vigil with other Nepali students from different universities in Hong Kong, as well as launch a fundraiser and work with NGOs to cover the victims’ funeral expenses. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
