Nepal, Sept. 27 -- Early September's deadly protests that saw the resignation of Prime Minister KP Oli and the dissolution of the parliament were about accountability. Kathmandu's streets saw the roll out of anger and a palpable sense of frustration. The government fell in less than two days, but claimed scores of lives on the way out.

Betrayed by corruption, a lack of economic opportunity and inequality, many were disillusioned by a political class that seemed indifferent. Exacerbating issues was the sheer impunity with which political leaders conducted their business.

Nepal's unrest, however, is not an isolated episode. It is part of a wider Asian tableau-a summer of discontent stretching from Ulaanbaatar to Jakarta and Manila. These ...