Indonesia/Nepal/The Philippines: The Role of Social Media in the Recent Protests Across Asia

Image showing the 2025 Nepal protest outside Bharatpur

Key Takeaways:

• Youth-led protests across Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines have been fuelled by social media, corruption, and inequality.

• Political instability and violent protests raise risks for international companies with business interests in the countries. Monitoring developments is critical for operational planning and travel risk management.

• Governments face mounting pressure to respond, with policy reversals in Indonesia, a leadership change in Nepal, and high-profile resignations in the Philippines underscoring the political fallout.

Indonesia - Simmering Tensions Spill Over Yet Again

On 25 August 2025, deadly protests broke out in Indonesia, with thousands demonstrating outside parliament following the revelation that MPs received a monthly housing allowance of around $3,000, nearly ten times the minimum wage in Jakarta, on top of their salaries. With Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto having implemented strict austerity measures, including cuts to education, health, and public works, protestors cited double standards as a significant motivating factor. The demonstrations spread across the country and turned increasingly violent after footage showed a paramilitary police team fatally running over a delivery driver on 28 August 2025, deepening anti-government sentiment. Demonstrators looted politicians’ houses and torched government buildings, police headquarters, and vehicles.

Although the recent demonstrations began in Jakarta, they spread to Denpasar, Lombok, Cirebon, Gorontalo city, Bandung, Palembang, Banjarmasin, Yogyakarta, and Makassar. In response, riot police hurled tear gas and fired water cannons at protestors. TikTok, which has more than 100 million accounts in Indonesia, suspended its livestreaming feature in the country to keep the platform “a safe and civil space”. The unrest forced President Prabowo Subianto to retract the perks measures and cancel a planned trip to China, signalling serious political and social consequences.

Protests have been a common occurrence in Indonesia for some time since Prabowo took office in October 2024. Activism has been widely attributed to his domestic policy decisions, which many believe overly favour the political elite, and the growing role of the military in civilian life under former military officer Prabowo’s government. In February 2025, students and activists took to the streets to decry austerity measures. Protests have continued throughout the year, including ahead of the country’s 80th independence anniversary in August 2025, when many discontented citizens raised pirate flags in place of or alongside the national flag to voice their discontent.

Nepal - Social Media Ban Sparks Outrage

On 08 September 2025, youth-led demonstrations broke out in Nepal following a government-imposed social media ban. The Nepalese government cited the need to tackle fake news, hate speech, and online fraud as justification for the move. While the decision acted as a catalyst, deep-seated anger at government corruption and economic inequality also played a crucial role in triggering the demonstrations. While protestors attacked government buildings, including the old prime minister’s palace office, security forces shot demonstrators with rubber bullets and fired tear gas. The violence was the deadliest seen in the country for decades, resulting in 2,100 injuries and 74 deaths, including 61 demonstrators, three police officers, and 10 inmates. According to postmortem examinations, at least 33 of the demonstrators killed were struck by live bullets fired from “high-velocity firearms”.

The chaos forced veteran Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign on 09 September 2025. On 12 September 2025, 73-year-old Sushila Karki was named Nepal’s interim prime minister after demonstrations devastated Kathmandu. Having appointed new ministers to her cabinet, Karki must attempt to rebuild confidence in the country's leadership. Although she has agreed to fresh elections on 05 March 2026, the first real test of her new government will be her investigation into the protests and whether she can bring the perpetrators of the deadly violence, including those who shot protestors, to justice.

The Philippines - Flood Funds Fury Boils Over

On 21 September 2025, thousands of Filipinos took to the streets of Manila and other cities to protest against corruption in flood control projects. Students, church groups, celebrities, and citizens from different political camps were involved. Although the demonstrations started peacefully, the situation turned violent after clashes broke out between masked protestors and police officers. Multiple police vehicles were set ablaze, the windows of a precinct headquarters were shattered, and rocks were hurled by demonstrators. In response, the police deployed water cannons and deafening sirens against the crowds. A total of 216 individuals were arrested, including 127 adults and 89 minors.

The protests followed the revelation that, from July 2022 to May 2025, ghost, substandard, and kickbacks-ridden contracts worth billions were awarded to companies linked to political clans.  Rage over the projects had been mounting in the Southeast Asian country since President Ferdinand Marcos put them centre stage in a July 2025 state of the nation address that followed weeks of deadly flooding. The archipelago nation is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, putting millions of people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty. The Department of Finance has estimated that the Philippine economy lost up to $2 billion from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects. Greenpeace has suggested the number is actually closer to $18 billion.

The scandal implicated numerous lawmakers, culminating in the leaders of both houses of Congress stepping down from their positions during the investigation. Protestors have highlighted the importance of holding officials accountable for corruption, regardless of the administration in power, and called for the return of stolen funds and their reallocation for health, education, housing, and flood victim compensation. President Marcos Jr said that he did not blame people for protesting “one bit”, even going as far as saying: “If I weren’t president, I might be out in the streets with them”.

The Role of Social Media

As mentioned, the government’s attempted ban on social media played a central role in the outbreak of demonstrations in Nepal. With digital platforms providing an outlet for the younger generation to vent their anger at widespread social inequality and those benefitting from a corrupt system, protestors interpreted the move as an attempt at censoring dissent. One cogent example of how social media has been leveraged is the targeting of so-called “nepo kids”—young people perceived as benefitting from the fame and influence of their well-connected parents, many of whom are establishment figures.

For many, nepo kids are a symptom of a corrupt system that has contributed to wealth inequality. Trending hashtags online, such as #nepokids, #nepobaby, and #politiciansnepobabynepal have been widely used to share the social media posts of targeted individuals, often displaying expensive holidays and luxury items. Such lifestyles are juxtaposed against the rest of the population, who continue to struggle amid rising inflation, high unemployment, and widespread poverty. After the government announced the ban, a Nepalese group called Gen Z Rebels used AI platforms to produce 50 social media clips about nepo kids and corruption. The videos were posted to TikTok, which had not been banned, using multiple accounts and VPNs to avoid detection. The videos gained hundreds of thousands of views. Another source of anger was the fact that the ban threatened Facebook’s recent content monetisation launch in Nepal, which could enable Nepali creators to earn money. Other businesses dependent on social media platforms were also set to be negatively impacted.

The demonstrations in Indonesia were also exacerbated by social media, providing an outlet for young people to share their frustration, generating collective grievances and a determination for change. Online hashtags such as #IndonesiaGelap (Dark Indonesia) and #KaburAjaDulu (Just Run Away First) provided many with a means to share their discontent. Additionally, the protests escalated significantly after a video was shared online showing a delivery driver being fatally run over by an armoured police vehicle.

In a similar fashion to Nepal’s youth, young Filipinos have also turned to TikTok, Instagram, and X to expose individuals flaunting luxurious lifestyles. Campaigners reupload videos and images of luxury cars, designer handbags, private jets, and expensive overseas trips, citing them as evidence of a broken system. More than 30,000 people have contributed to a Reddit thread called “lifestyle check”, in which many post details about the rich. The contrast between the lifestyles of politicians, business partners, and their families with those of ordinary workers has fuelled the movement. The actions, known as “lifestyle policing”, underscore the growing power of social media as arenas of dissent. 

Technology has fostered a mutual solidarity between protestors across Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines. For instance, a cartoon skull logo popularised by Indonesian demonstrators has been adopted by Philippine and Nepalese protestors. Additionally, the hashtag #SEAbllings has trended online, reflecting support between protestors across the Southeast Asian nations. This is indicative of the shared resentments and anti-corruption objectives between the protestors.

Business Implications

With a young, urbanising population and a rising middle class, Indonesia is widely projected to become an increasingly important economic hub in the coming decades. As such, international companies are taking an increasing interest in Indonesia, viewing the country as an alternative to China. With political instability and violent protests threatening the business environment, accounting for the domestic political situation will be an important consideration for those with business interests in Indonesia. Handling the problem regarding recurring protests will be an important hurdle for Subianto to show he can effectively govern the country and portray the country as a suitable hub for economic activity. The frequency of activism since he assumed power suggests this may be challenging. The risks are likely to escalate significantly if he doubles down on expanding the military’s role in government. Considering Subianto’s background as a military officer, there is sufficient evidence to be concerned.

The security situation in Nepal is unpredictable, with the potential to deteriorate again without warning should another flashpoint arise. While there are fewer international companies present in Nepal compared with regional hubs such as India and China, a number of international companies in sectors such as energy, telecommunications, finance, and tourism maintain an interest in the country’s domestic affairs. Private businesses suffered heavy losses during the violence; damages from extensive arson and looting are estimated to be billions of rupees. Although things have settled down in Nepal, the importance of socio-economic challenges as underlying causes of the protests, coupled with the difficulty of addressing them, indicates that tensions could spill over again.

The underlying socio-economic challenges that played a central role in the protests witnessed in the Philippines are similarly systemic. This suggests that the country is at risk of demonstrations breaking out again in the future. For businesses, the corruption scandal and subsequent unrest highlight the operational and reputational risks of investing in the Philippines. Until governance and accountability improve, the investment climate will remain vulnerable. The outlook will depend heavily on whether the government can demonstrate credible reforms and accountability measures to restore confidence and reduce the risk of renewed unrest.