It was the wedding of the daughter of a Nepalese politician that first angered Aditya. The 23-year-old activist was scrolling through his social media feed in May, when he read complaints about how the high-profile marriage ceremony sparked huge traffic jams in the city of Bhaktapur.
What riled him most were claims that a major road was blocked for hours for VIP guests, who reportedly included the Nepalese prime minister.
Though the claim was never verified and the politician later denied that his family had misused state resources, Aditya's mind was made up.
It was, he decided, really unacceptable.
Over the next few months, he noticed more of what he saw as extravagances, posted on social media by politicians and their children - exotic holidays, pictures showing off mansions, supercars, and designer handbags.
Saugat Thapa, a provincial minister's son, posted a photograph that went viral. It showed an enormous pile of gift boxes from Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Christian Louboutin, decorated with fairy lights and Christmas baubles and topped with a Santa hat.
On 8 September, determined to fight what he saw as corruption, Aditya joined thousands of young protesters on the streets of Kathmandu. As the protests gathered pace, there were clashes between demonstrators and police, leaving some protesters dead.
The following day, crowds stormed parliament and burned down government offices. The prime minister KP Sharma Oli resigned. In all, some 70 people were killed.
This fervour for change has swept across Asia in recent months. Indonesians have staged demonstrations, as have Filipinos, with tens of thousands protesting in the capital Manila on Sunday. They all have one thing in common: they are driven by Generation Z, many of whom are furious at what they see as endemic corruption in their countries.
Governments in the region are warning of the risk of the protests spiralling into unacceptable violence. But Aditya, like many demonstrators, believes it is the start of a new era of protest power.
He was inspired by protests in Indonesia, last year's student-led revolution in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka's Aragalaya protest movement that toppled a president. We learnt that there is nothing that we - this generation of students and youths - cannot do, Aditya asserts.
Much of the anger has focused on so-called nepo kids - young people perceived as benefitting from the fame and influence of their well-connected parents, many of whom are establishment figures. To many demonstrators, these nepo kids symbolise deeper corruption.
While some targeted have denied these allegations, the general sentiment reflects a broader discontent over social inequality and lack of opportunities that have fueled the protests.
Poverty remains a persistent issue in Asian countries, alongside corruption which reduces economic growth and deepens inequality. Demonstrators are often young and connected through digital channels, using platforms such as TikTok and Discord to galvanize support and spread their message.
Days before protests began in Nepal, the government announced a ban on most social media platforms for failing to comply with a registration deadline, which many viewed as an attempt to silence them. In response, Aditya and friends utilized AI and digital platforms to create engaging social media content addressing corruption and the influence of the elite.
The power of technology has enabled these new movements to flourish, with Gen Z leading the charge in advocating for justice and accountability in politics. As these protests evolve, the young generation remains resolute, learning from past mistakes and driving for genuine change.
