Vietnam’s most powerful politician Nguyen Phu Trong has died after a long illness

“After a long illness”
Vietnam’s most powerful politician Trong dies

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No other politician in Vietnam was more powerful than Nguyen Phu Trong. Recently, however, the communist party leader has hardly been present in public. One exception was the reception for Kremlin chief Putin in Hanoi in June. Now Trong has died at the age of 80.

The most powerful man in Vietnam is dead. Nguyen Phu Trong, long-time general secretary of the Communist Party (CPV), died today at the age of 80 “after a long illness” in a military hospital, state media reported, citing the party. The politician, who had headed the party since 2011, had been suffering from health problems since 2019. At that time, he is said to have suffered a stroke and subsequently repeatedly struggled with illnesses.

Rumors about Trong’s health have been circulating in the Southeast Asian country for days. On Thursday, the party announced that President To Lam would temporarily take over the duties of the CPV chief. The 67-year-old will initially continue to perform these duties in addition to his presidential office after Trong’s death.

Trong has hardly been seen in public this year. In June, however, he received Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Hanoi. During the visit, Russia and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to further expand their strategic partnership. Like many members of the Vietnamese leadership, Trong studied in the former Soviet Union.

Boom and human rights violations

Trong was born in 1944 to a peasant family in a suburb of Hanoi. He studied literature and socialist theory and earned a doctorate in what was then the Soviet Union. He has been at the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam since 2011. For decades, no politician has been more powerful than Trong.

Three terms as head of the Communist Party are considered a great exception; this had only happened twice before in the country’s history. From 2018 to 2021, Trong was also president – that doesn’t happen often either. His anti-corruption campaign was famous, during which numerous high-ranking officials were sentenced to long prison terms and two presidents were even forced to resign in succession.

During his term in office, Trong worked, among other things, to strengthen the country’s relations with the United States. According to analyst Linh Nguyen of the Vietnamese company Control Risks, Trong wanted to be remembered as someone “who is very close to the people and listens to the people.”

Criticized for repression

Under his leadership, the country developed into one of the fastest-growing markets in Asia. The government also had the corona pandemic under control for a long time thanks to rapid intervention and drastic measures. However, the country is also repeatedly criticized for massive repression. Observers now expect a further deterioration in the already difficult human rights situation under the hardliner To Lam.

At the same time, Trong had the reputation of being a modest and respectful politician. He was popular with many Vietnamese. The country on the Mekong is officially led by four “pillars”: the CPV Secretary General, the President, the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Assembly.

In recent years, the authorities have stepped up their crackdown on dissidents and activists. According to the organization Human Rights Watch, more than 160 people are currently imprisoned in Vietnam for peacefully exercising their basic civil and political rights. In the first ten months of 2023, the courts sentenced at least 28 human rights activists to long prison terms.

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