Sudan Gurung the Gen-Z leader
Kathmandu, 15 Sep: It has come to light that leaders of the Gen-Z movement, Balen Shah and Sudan Gurung, have connections with the Free Tibet campaign.
The “Gen Z Movement” in Nepal is recorded to have taken place on September 8, 2025. Let us discuss why, how, by whom, and when this movement was designed.
Nepal’s then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli had paid a four-day official visit to Beijing, China between December 2–5, 2024. During this visit, Oli met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and photos of them together became a subject of huge debate.
Agreement with China
During the trip, Nepal and China signed nine agreements and MoUs covering infrastructure, trade, education, culture, and economic cooperation. These included:
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Tokha–Chhahare Tunnel Road construction letter of exchange.
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Development Plan 2024–2029.
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Trade promotion cooperation MoU.
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Protocol for exporting thermally processed buffalo meat to China.
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Certificate of completion for the reconstruction of the Basantapur nine-storey tower.
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MoU on volunteer Chinese language teachers.
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Public broadcasting cooperation between Nepal Television and China Media Group.
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Economic and technical cooperation agreement and cash assistance from China.
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Framework agreement on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.
Historically, Nepal’s politics has been influenced by India, the U.S., and European countries. Oli’s visible tilt towards China reportedly angered both India and the U.S.
Former PM Oli
Social Media Ban
Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli traveled for China on 30 August 2025 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. He leaved for China for a five-day visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated that his scheduled to formally participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025.
Soon after returning from China, Oli’s government moved to ban 26 social media platforms (including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube) for failing to register under new IT ministry regulations. This angered the U.S. even more. In a country already plagued by corruption, unemployment, and youth frustration, this fueled public discontent.
As corruption, nepotism, lack of transparency, inequality, and restrictions on freedom of expression grew, voices of protest started rising.
Taking advantage of this, an international network under the name “Hami Nepal” (We Nepal) designed a movement not only in Kathmandu but also in major cities like Pokhara, Butwal, and Birgunj. Though many Nepali leaders appeared involved, the main visible faces were Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah and Sudan Gurung, chair of Hami Nepal. They secretly purchased media space and launched a propaganda campaign. Soon, angry citizens and students took to the streets.
On the first day, security forces cracked down, resulting in 19 student deaths and thousands injured. This intensified the protests, and opposition parties, sensing opportunity, also infiltrated the Gen-Z protests under disguise.
By the second day, government offices and political buildings were vandalized and set on fire. Reports indicated 51 deaths. Clearly, these violent acts were not solely carried out by students, but by infiltrators and opportunists.
Hami Nepal was later found to be linked not only to local controversial business houses but also to Indian organizations supporting the Free Tibet campaign.
What is ‘Hami Nepal’
Hami Nepal’s official website even lists “Students for a Free Tibet” as a partner, displaying its logo and link. This Indian-based group openly works with the Dalai Lama for Tibetan independence. Hami Nepal’s ties extend to the Thangru Monastery in Namo Buddha, also associated with Free Tibet, and to U.S.-based organizations like the Himalayan Children’s Fund.
In 2013, Tibetan youth Karma Gyatso set himself on fire in protest for a Free Tibet. Investigations revealed links to the same Free Tibet network. Protests against Nepal’s handling of his cremation also saw involvement from Students for a Free Tibet.
Meanwhile, powerful Nepali business groups like Shankar Group and Infinity were exposed for influencing budget decisions, securing licenses (like Himalayan Reinsurance), dodging billions in electricity dues, and manipulating customs and tax breaks for hotels and automobile industries. These same groups were connected with political lobbying during the Gen-Z protests.
Amid all this, Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu was burned down during the protests.
Hami Nepal, founded in 2015 and officially registered in 2020, had collected 540 million rupees in donations but revealed no proper financial breakdown of sources and expenditures.
Its chairman Sudan Gurung, once a restaurateur and DJ, turned to activism after losing his son in the 2015 earthquake. He later entered politics, though his citizenship claims remain controversial. His close ties with Dr. Sanduk Rohit, a Tibetan-origin Nepali linked to the Dalai Lama, further tied him to Free Tibet and Western interests.
Balen Shah, on the other hand, used his popularity as Kathmandu’s mayor to mobilize students on social media, calling them “dear Gen-Z brothers and sisters.” Analysts say Balen had designed the movement internally — aiming to burn government and private property, including Singha Durbar, the main government complex. Kathmandu saw the most destruction. Yet Balen remained underground afterward, silent, while pointing blame at Oli. His aims reportedly aligned with Prachanda, India, and the U.S., all wanting Oli out.
Mayor Balen Shah
Ultimately, Oli’s arrogance and pride hastened his downfall. Analysts argue the Gen-Z movement was not purely spontaneous but rather planned by foreign powers long before, using Nepal’s political corruption as the perfect moment to ignite it.
By the end, the country was left devastated. Government offices like the Supreme Court, Parliament, Land Revenue, Transport Department, banks, and municipalities were torched. Balen’s dream of burning down Singha Durbar came true.
