In August 1995 Choephel went to Tibet in order to record and videotape Tibetan folk songs for his documentary film.

[5] However, in September 1995 he was arrested by Chinese authorities, being charged with "espionage and counter-revolutionary activities" while he was filming his documentary.

[6] In a statement released on Choephel, he related to his mother Ms. Sonam Dekyi that he had been on a hunger strike in protest over not receiving proper medical care.

A highly publicized international campaign that began with his mother's solitary protests finally secured his release in 2002.

[10] Ngawang Choephel currently resides in the United States and continues to be a high-profile member of the exiled Tibetan community.