To Long, believed to be the only son of Vietnam’s top leader To Lam, has been promoted to a senior position at the Ministry of Public Security, online posts showed, in a move that may be intended to cement support for Lam from police.
Information and images circulated on social media platform TikTok showed Col. To Long had been appointed as director of the ministry’s Department of External Security at a June 4 ceremony.
Experts said Long’s promotion is the latest in a series of appointments by Lam to consolidate power.
Lam’s own rise was “built on the strength of the police force,” making their support crucial as he seeks another term as general secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Van Dai, an experienced observer of Vietnamese politics, told Radio Free Asia.
State media has not announced Long’s appointment.
The Ministry of Public Security often eschews public announcements about promotions and appointments. Previously, Maj. Gen. Mai Hoang was appointed as director of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department without any coverage in state media.
It’s also unusual for top figures in the Communist Party to disclose information about their family members. According to BBC Vietnamese, local news outlets have been instructed not to report on the developments in order to avoid drawing public attention.
Long, 43, maintains a low public profile. After several years of overseas study, he joined the ministry and in February was seen attending a Ministry of Public Security meeting on peacekeeping operations.
In June 2024, state media identified him as deputy chief of the Ministry’s Permanent Office for United Nations Peacekeeping.
A Hanoi-based analyst said authorities are wary of public discussion of the appointment as many members of the leadership come from the northern province of Hung Yen, the birthplace of To Lam. The analyst requested anonymity to comment on the sensitive topic.
To Lam, who became party chief in August 2024, began his career in public security in 1979 and rose to become the country’s top security official in 2016. Since assuming power, he has stacked the police apparatus with allies and people from Hung Yen.
Lam has elevated allies to key security positions, appointing Luong Tam Quang as minister of public security and Pham The Tung as head of the Investigative Security Agency. He has also installed new police chiefs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s two largest cities. Several police generals from Hung Yen province have similarly been promoted to senior Communist Party roles.
These appointments come ahead of the ruling party’s National Congress in January 2026, where delegates will elect a new leadership team for the next five-year term.
Edited by Tenzin Pema.
