Luang Pho Chaem


Phra Khru Wisutthiwongsachan Yanmuni, commonly known as Luang Pho Chaem, was the former abbot of Wat Chalong and a highly revered Buddhist monk of Phuket Province. He is especially remembered for his role during the 1876 Chinese miners’ rebellion.

Biography

Phra Khru Wisutthiwongsachan Yanmuni was born in the Year of the Pig, 1827, during the reign of King Rama III, at Ban Bo Saen, Thap Put District, Phang Nga Province. The names of his parents are not recorded. When he was older, his parents sent him to Wat Chalong, Thung Kha Subdistrict, Phuket Province, where he became a disciple of Phra Thao, then abbot of Wat Chalong. Chaem was first ordained as a novice and later as a monk, devoting his study to Vipassanā meditation at Wat Chalong until he attained deep mastery.
Known for his strict observance of the Vinaya, Luang Pho Chaem quickly gained respect and devotion from the local people. In 1850, when Phra Thao died, Luang Pho Chaem was appointed abbot of Wat Chalong.

The Chinese miners’ rebellion

In 1876, unrest broke out in Phuket due to the Chinese tin miners’ affiliation with the triads. Local villagers urged Luang Pho Chaem to flee, but he refused to abandon his monastery. His disciples gathered together to protect him and asked him to bless them with headbands as a source of courage. He agreed, and the blessed headbands became symbols of morale and unity. The villagers, inspired, defeated the triad rebels.
By 1877, government forces had suppressed the rebellion, and the Phuket authorities credited Luang Pho Chaem with contributing to the victory. At that time, the position of Chief Ecclesiastical Officer of Phuket was vacant, and King Rama V appointed Luang Pho Chaem to the post, conferring upon him the ecclesiastical title Phra Khru Wisutthiwongsachan Yanmuni. The King also renamed Wat Chalong as Wat Chaiyathararam. From then on, people of Phuket believed that Luang Pho Chaem’s protective blessings and spiritual power were a decisive factor in the villagers’ victory, and he came to be regarded as one of the most important kru of the region.

Passing

Phra Khru Wisutthiwongsachan Yanmuni died of intestinal disease on April 18, 1908.
On April 5, 1909, the royal court sent a cremation casket, 100 fueang in funds, and two rolls of white cloth for his royal-sponsored cremation ceremony in Phuket.