What does the Gen Z protester want?

Political renewal, transparency and equality are top on the lists of three protesters who spoke to The Sunday Times

- Rohini Mohan and Debarshi Dasgupta India Correspondents and Arlina Arshad Indonesia Bureau Chief

BENGALURU/JAKARTA/NEW DELHI - The simmering rage of the youth boiled over into violent street protests in several nations recently. Mass, spontaneous demonstrations led largely by citizens in their 20s and 30s have forced corrupt leaders to resign, overturned governments and propelled fresh faces into public life, inspiring hope of political change in their struggling countries.

But more than 1,500 have died in anti-government protests in Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

In Nepal, the "Gen Z protest" began with an online campaign in September against nepotism and corruption after the government banned social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to silence criticism.

Police opened fire, killing 19, and young people responded by burning state buildings and politicians' houses.

Going back a year, the "July Revolution" of 2024 in Bangladesh was led by Students Against Discrimination, an umbrella group demanding that special job quotas for favoured parties be revoked.

A heavy-handed police crackdown led to the death of scores of protesters. The movement exploded in size and fury, forcing then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country.

The protests in all these countries were sparked by perceived corruption, enormous wealth inequality and the economic pain of ordinary folks.

"In India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, young people want to be taken seriously, not dismissed. We might be on the internet more than previous generations, but that is just one of the places where our politics is being built," said Mr Prajesh Man Tandukar, 25, as he hunkered down with his childhood friends in Kathmandu after a day of protesting.

The Sunday Times spoke to three young demonstrators who took part in the protests in Indonesia, Nepal and Bangladesh. They said they were fed up with old, out-of-touch men running everything.