Nepali authorities are investigating hostile social-media comments directed at survivors of last month’s deadly floods and families seeking information about missing relatives.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said authorities would “show no leniency” toward people who belittle those suffering. In a Facebook post, he described people who make unnecessary remarks or cause further distress at a sensitive time as criminals.
Some families who posted appeals for information about missing relatives or criticized the pace of search and rescue efforts said they received abusive responses online.
One woman whose brother has been missing since the floods told the BBC that the rescue operation had been too slow. She later said hostile comments responding to her criticism had added to her family’s pain.
In another case, a woman whose husband was missing questioned the government’s urgency in a video that circulated widely online. The video attracted insults, including comments telling her to jump into the river and help with the search.
Nepali police said they were investigating the origins of the comments, including addresses and phone numbers, and had formed a 10-member committee to examine them.
Under Nepal’s Electronic Transactions Act, people who use social media to defame or harass others can face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 rupees ($662; £490), or both.
Dovan Rai, executive director of the Nepal-based digital rights group Body & Data, said some of the comments may have been posted as “rage bait” designed to provoke outrage or encourage people to click on or share content. She also said some may have come from strong supporters of the government, contributing to greater polarization online.
