Senior Thai Buddhist Monk Shoots Fellow Monk, Kills Himself

29 June 2002

by Daranee Duangmanee

A senior Buddhist monk shot and seriously injured a fellow monk in a dispute over money before killing himself on June 26, 2002. Winai Sirithamachot, 65, the abbot of Lamud monastery outside Bangkok, shot Chamlong Chanpeth in the chest after a brief argument, police Lieutenant Colonel Prachaub Thamayan told reporters. Minutes later, Winai killed himself with a shot to his head from his revolver, Prachaub said. Chamlong, a deputy abbot of a neighboring temple, was listed in serious condition, Prachaub said. Mr Prachaub quoted witnesses as saying that Winai and Chamlong had argued over the money donated by worshippers for building a gong tower. Other details were not available. Thailand, a predominantly Buddhist state, has more than 350,000 monks. In recent years the clergy's reputation has been marred by wayward monks' involvement in corruption, sex and crime in violation of their vows.

The abbot of the temple in Nonthaburi shot and seriously injured a senior monk before killing himself. Phra Athikan Winai Sirithammo, abbot of Wat Lamut Nai in Nonthaburi's Bang Kruay district, was arguing with Phrakhru Winaisorn Sattamayo, 57, deputy abbot of Wat Hu Chang, before the incident, police quoted witnesses as saying.

The abbot had called on Winaisorn at the latter's temple, which is located about 200 metres from Winai's monastery. Winaisorn had just returned from a morning alms round when the older monk visited him. Following a brief argument, Winai produced a .38-calibre revolver, shot the monk once and turned the pistol on himself. Winai was killed instantly by a gunshot wound to the right temple. Winaisorn was rushed to hospital with a serious wound to his right shoulder.

A search of Winai's room turned up financial documents belonging to his temple and some papers written in the abbot's own hand expressing his displeasure with Winaisorn, police said. It was found that an accountant hired by Winai at the suggestion of Winaisorn had created "a mess" [meaning corruption] relating to donations to the temple, which had landed the older monk in trouble.

Police said they believed the abbot met the younger monk that morning to ask him to explain the matter to his supervisor but was rebuffed.

Police also said Winai had been involved in criminal activity before entering the monkhood. They believe the pistol used in the shooting was obtained by the abbot before he joined the order. But Buddhist monks are not supposed to kill anyone or anything. But now even monks are no longer in keeping with the tenets of Buddhism and resort to petty vices.