Sonam Choephel, born in 1957 in Lhasa, was a Tibetan political activist involved in organising and participating in anti-Chinese demonstrations in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1993. Formerly a carpenter and small businessman in Barkhor, Lhasa, he assisted in distributing pamphlets, putting up posters, and spreading information advocating Tibetan independence.

In 1993, together with several associates, he organised a major protest in Lhasa by publicly framing it as a demonstration against rising food prices and economic hardship, while secretly linking the issue to Chinese population transfer policies in Tibet. Prior to the protest, the group secretly printed and distributed around 200 pamphlets among trusted Tibetans.

The demonstration took place on 24 May 1993, beginning near the TAR government office and continuing until evening near the Lhasa Holiday Inn. Sonam Choephel maintained a low profile during the protest, distributing pamphlets and monitoring events rather than openly leading the crowd. At around 7 p.m., Chinese police dispersed the demonstrators with tear gas, ending the mass protest.

On 27 May 1993, after learning that police had arrived to arrest him, Sonam Choephel escaped from his home and went into hiding in Toelung and later Toelung Machu. As arrests increased, friends helped organise his escape from Tibet. He left Lhasa on 28 July 1993, reached Nepal on 16 August 1993, and later arrived in Dharamsala, India, in the autumn of 1993. His wife and children remained in Lhasa following his escape into exile.