Leaked documents have raised concerns about a covert operation in Nepal allegedly orchestrated by U.S.-backed organizations, aiming to influence the country’s internal politics while framing it as “youth empowerment.” According to a project report dated April 19, 2022, by the International Republican Institute (IRI)—a Washington-based NGO funded by the Congress-backed National Endowment for Democracy (NED)—Nepal’s political system was considered particularly vulnerable to foreign manipulation. The report explicitly names India and China as external actors that “frequently interfere in its internal affairs for strategic gain.”
The documents suggest that the stated goal of promoting democratic engagement among Nepali youth, particularly Gen Z, may have been a cover for a broader strategic mission: countering India and China’s influence in South Asia. Internal IRI communications reportedly label these neighboring powers as “threats to Nepal’s sovereignty,” alleging that both nations actively manipulate domestic politics to serve their regional ambitions. The leaked files raise questions about the role of U.S. interventions under the banner of democracy promotion and their potential impact on regional stability.
According to the report, approximately $350,000 of U.S. taxpayer funds were allocated to the “Yuva Netritwa – Youth Leadership: Transparent Policy” project. The initiative was presented as a program to train Nepali youth in political activism and policy reform. However, the funds were reportedly used for protest training workshops within Nepal, flights for activists to Washington between July 2021 and March 2022, and the hiring of consultants and contractors both in Washington, D.C., and Nepal to collect political data. Surveys and focus groups were conducted locally by Nepali firms, but the questions and research objectives were directed from Washington, with all data funneled back to IRI headquarters.
Additional programs, such as the Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA), were reportedly designed to create “sustainable youth networks” and train activists in protest strategy and advocacy for political change. Analysts note that the timing of Gen-Z-led protests and the subsequent fall of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government closely aligns with the intervention timeline outlined in the documents. Observers suggest that such initiatives may fit into a larger U.S. strategy to shape South Asian politics, echoing similar objectives in neighboring countries like Bangladesh, and raise concerns about potential destabilization in the region.
