Nepal Cops Hunt Online Haters of Flood Victims

Nepal's Cyber Bureau has established a 10-member team dedicated to investigating individuals accused of posting abusive and hateful comments targeting victims of last month's devastating flash floods. This decisive action follows a strong warning from Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who declared that mocking or harassing those affected by the disaster would be met with severe consequences.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Tibetan border on August 26, caused widespread devastation, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of missing persons. Families seeking help for missing relatives on social media encountered hostile and demeaning remarks, prompting the Cyber Bureau's intervention.

Officials have stated that legal proceedings can commence even without formal complaints from the affected individuals, provided sufficient evidence is gathered. This approach is supported by Nepal's Electronic Transactions Act, 2008, which prescribes penalties for online abuse, including fines and imprisonment, for content that promotes hatred, disrupts ethnic relations, or involves harassment.

In a separate but related incident, a man was arrested in Kathmandu for comments allegedly inciting ethnic tensions concerning the disaster. The Cyber Bureau's efforts underscore a commitment to discouraging online behavior that exacerbates the distress of disaster survivors and ensures accountability for such actions.