RFA Perspectives — Nepal’s streets have exploded in protest. Thousands of young people, angered by a government ban on social media, are standing up against corruption and inequality.
In Vietnam, the youth are watching closely, because Nepal’s story feels eerily familiar.
Why Vietnam cares
So why are Vietnamese youth paying attention to what’s happening in Nepal?
Because Nepal’s uprising highlights struggles they know all too well.
Censorship, corruption, unemployment, and the communist party – these challenges echo in both societies. For Vietnam’s younger generation, Nepal’s story is not only a warning, but also a source of reflection and, perhaps, inspiration.
Social media control
The protest in Nepal was triggered by the state’s decision to block social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
In Vietnam, social media is tightly monitored, with posts taken down and activists punished. For both countries, digital spaces aren’t just entertainment; they are lifelines for free expression and e-commerce.
When governments try to silence them, the youth push back.
Corruption everywhere
Corruption is another shared wound.
In Nepal, corruption fuels anger at leaders who enrich themselves while ordinary citizens struggle.
In Vietnam, despite its rapid growth, scandals involving high-ranking officials remind young people that power often protects the few, not the many.
Youth unemployment
In both societies, unemployment and underemployment weigh heavily on the younger generation.
Education is prized, but diplomas don’t guarantee jobs. For Gen Z in Nepal and Vietnam, frustration grows when hard work isn’t rewarded with opportunity.
In Nepal, a fragile democracy is heavily influenced by entrenched elites from the Communist movement.
In Vietnam, the Communist Party holds complete control and often emphasizes the superiority of its ideology.
That’s why what happens in Nepal matters to people in Vietnam.
When a fellow communist party-led system shows cracks, it challenges the narrative that Vietnamese citizens have heard for decades.
In both countries, young people feel decisions are made without them, and often at their expense.
In closing
As Nepal’s protests unfold, Vietnamese youth are watching with interest. The events in Nepal may not predict Vietnam’s future, but they highlight questions many young people across Asia are asking today.
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