Biography
Bishwa Chhetri is a prominent human rights activist and community leader originally from Samchi District in southern Bhutan. He hails from Karbandi village, Ghumauney, Samchi, Bhutan. Mr. Chhetri attended Sherubtse College in Kanglung, Bhutan. Mr. Chhetri has been an influential voice against the repressive and discriminatory policies of Bhutan since the late 1980s. As a founding member of both the Students Union of Bhutan (SUB) and the People’s Forum for Human Rights - Bhutan (PFHRB), he emerged as a key student leader and a human rights advocate. In 1989, he was arrested from his dormitory in Sherubtse College and imprisoned in Rabuna military prison for over two years under solitary confinement. During his imprisonment, Amnesty International recognized him as a Prisoner of Conscience (POC). Following persistent international advocacy by the SUB and other international agencies such as the Amnesty International organizations, he was released from jail but placed under house arrest in Thimphu. In February 1992, Mr. Chhetri escaped from Bhutan and joined other Bhutanese refugees in exile. In exile, Mr. Chhetri assumed leadership of the SUB, where he spearheaded educational initiatives for refugee children in the refugee camps, while continuing his advocacy work for human rights and democracy in Bhutan. He relocated to the United States in August 1999 and later became a U.S. citizen. In the U.S, Mr. Chhetri founded the Association of Bhutanese in America (ABA), serving as its chairman for one term. The ABA was established with the goal of connecting former Bhutanese refugees settled across different states in the U.S. Mr. Chhetri remains dedicated to the Bhutanese cause and actively contributes to various community efforts in different leadership capacities. Mr. Chhetri also served as a Commissioner on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs for three years. He is one of the founding members of The BRAIN and plays a central role in driving its projects.Mr. Chhetri is a passionate adventurer and nature lover. He loves hiking, travelling and exploring nature and its beauty.