Newly leaked documents reviewed by The Grayzone have opened an explosive debate about the real forces behind Nepal’s 2025 political upheaval. While Western media portrayed the events as a spontaneous “Gen Z” uprising, the leaked files suggest a more organised and externally supported operation. According to the documents, US-funded institutions—primarily the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its partner, the International Republican Institute (IRI)—played a central role in cultivating, training, and activating a youth network that eventually became a decisive player in the September 2025 unrest. This raises critical questions about foreign involvement, the manipulation of Nepal’s political landscape, and the broader Indo-Pacific strategic contest.
A Network Built for Mobilisation
The leaked files claim that the IRI spent several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars training dozens of Nepalese youth activists. The programs were funded through the NED. It was focused on protest organisation, advocacy campaigns, digital mobilisation, and political messaging. Although these initiatives were framed as support for “democratic engagement,” the documents suggest a more calculated purpose.
For example, one IRI report describes the objective of building a youth “network” capable of becoming an “important force to support US interests.” Moreover, the youth were trained not only to participate in political activism but also to shape future policymaking, form new political parties, and push long-term political change aligned with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
The Trigger: Social Media Restrictions and the ‘Gen Z’ Eruption
When Nepali authorities restricted access to Facebook, YouTube, and X for non-compliance. The uprising came just after. Within days, violent protests erupted across Kathmandu. It later followed other major cities of Nepal. The basic problems were there in Nepali society, but the scale, speed, and coordination of the protests point to some external involvement.
Furthermore, unlike earlier youth movements, this mobilisation displayed unusually organised tactics: protesters carried semi-automatic rifles, stormed government institutions, and used symbols like the One Piece Jolly Roger flag, which had already appeared in other “Gen Z” uprisings in Mexico, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The violent protests caused at least 76 people to die and also forced PM K P Sharma Oli to resign within weeks. More importantly, an Intreme Government was formed and former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was selected through an anonymous Discord poll that recorded fewer than 10,000 votes. Even though this selection mechanism appeared democratic on the surface, it lacked transparency and legitimacy.
What the Leaked Manuals Reveal
Now, let’s have a look over the training manual of IRI, revealed in the leaks, in detail to understand it more comprehensively.
The manuals offer a sharper context to these events. They include modules on:
- Public speaking and strategic messaging
- Protest management and resource mobilisation
- Social media techniques for mass outreach
- Systems for organising Protests at local, provincial, and national levels
- Issue monitoring through tech tools
Consequently, the way protesters coordinated online, mobilised rapidly and maintained strategic messaging suggests a direct connection between the training modules and the uprising’s tactics.
Additionally, the IRI’s Nepal programs—especially the $350,000 “Yuva Netritwa: Paradarshi Niti” project—explicitly aimed to help young activists “build momentum” and apply pressure on Nepali policymakers. Once enough youth “endorsing US values” were identified, the documents say they would be mobilised to launch campaigns on issues of “US concern.”
Nepal’s Strategic Importance and the US Indo-Pacific Objective
The geostrategic location of Nepal suits the Washington’s interests, as Nepal is a Sandwiched between China and India and a crucial node in the Himalayan strategic arc. Although India has traditionally influenced Kathmandu, growing India-China rapprochement and India’s increasing engagement with Russia have complicated US regional calculations.
Therefore, according to the leaked assessments, the US saw Nepal as a “core“ country for Indo-Pacific strategy. Influencing its political direction—especially by empowering youth groups sympathetic to US interests—was viewed as a long-term investment. The IRI even modelled its approach on the 2020 “Enough is Enough“ protests, which it considered proof of youth power.
Thus, the September 2025 uprising becomes part of a broader geopolitical playbook: using local dissatisfaction and youth activism to install or pressure governments in strategically significant states.
Revival of the Monarchy and Military Silence
Despite the heavy violence, one notable pattern emerged. Protesters attacked nearly all government institutions except two: the military and the former king’s palace. Notably, former King Gyanendra Shah openly supported the uprising, while the military began quiet engagements with pro-monarchist actors.
Additionally, as the New York Times noted, while the protests succeeded in toppling Oli, the participants had no clear vision for the future. This vacuum has strengthened the monarchy’s relevance and left Nepal without a stable political roadmap. Consequently, the country now risks drifting toward a hybrid political structure shaped not by domestic consensus but by external influence and elite bargaining.
The leaked files show that Nepal’s 2025 unrest was not just a natural youth movement. Young people in Nepal do have real problems, but the protests were too organised and well-funded to be spontaneous. The documents suggest that foreign money and training programs played a big role. Because Nepal is important in the US–China–India power struggle, it appears that the unrest was planned to change Nepal’s politics at a time when the US is losing influence in the region.
