Nepal, June 27 -- At a time when civic space in South Asia is visibly shrinking and global headlines warn of it being under threat, Nepal still retains some characteristics of an open society. Yet, as history reminds us, this relatively open civic space cannot be taken for granted, as we have recently seen some worrying trends involving the prohibition and enforced restrictions on any form of peaceful protests and rallies. Opportunities for civic engagement have been restrained not just in physical space but also in digital platform. The government has weaponised the Electronic Transaction Act to crack down on freedom of expression.

The story doesn't end here. The government is manipulating the Social Media Bill to muzzle the voices in t...