Tô Lâm
Tô Lâm is a Vietnamese politician and former police officer who has served as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam since August 2024 and the 13th president of Vietnam from May to October 2024. In his capacity as general secretary, he is the most powerful person in Vietnam's political system. A veteran of the People's Public Security Forces with over 40 years of service, Lâm rose through the ranks to become Minister of Public Security in 2016, a position he held until his election to the presidency in 2024.
Born in Hưng Yên province, Lâm became a member of the CPV on 22 August 1981. A graduate of the Central Police School and the Vietnam People's Security Academy, he spent his entire career in the police force. He holds the rank of four-star General in the Vietnam People's Public Security. He previously served as Head of the Central Highlands Steering Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security, and Director-General of the MPS First General Department of Security. He has been a member of the CPV Central Committee since 2011 and a member of the CPV Politburo since 2016.
Lâm participated in the 2016 anti-corruption campaign launched by his predecessor, General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, which implicated numerous senior officials to a degree unprecedented in Vietnamese political history. Since Trọng's death in July 2024, Lâm has run the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption and the Central Military Commission. Lâm is alleged to have led a campaign against dissidents, suppressed civil society organizations, and tightened internet censorship. Since beginning his tenure as general secretary, Lâm has pursued wide-ranging administrative and bureaucratic restructuring.
On 18 May 2024, he was nominated by the CPV Central Committee to become Vietnam's 13th president, succeeding Võ Văn Thưởng, who resigned in March 2024 due to the anti-corruption campaign. The National Assembly relieved Lâm of his ministerial post before the presidential election, and his protége Lương Tam Quang was appointed public security minister in June 2024. On 3 August 2024, following the death of Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Lâm was elected CPV General Secretary and Secretary of the Central Military Commission by the 13th Central Committee, making him Vietnam's current top leader. On 23 January 2026, Lâm was reelected General Secretary by the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Early life and education
Tô Lâm was born on 10 July 1956 in Xuân Cầu village, Văn Giang district, Hưng Yên province, northern Vietnam. He is the eldest son of Colonel Tô Quyền, former Director of Police for Hải Hưng province.According to his official biography, Lâm was born into a family of revolutionary activists and was exposed to the country's political struggle from a young age. His father, Tô Quyền, a recipient of the Hero of the People's Armed Forces title, participated in the communist revolution and served in security at the Party's Central Office for South Vietnam from 1966 until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
Following in his father's footsteps, Lâm studied defense, and law. In October 1974, he was a student of the sixth cohort of the Central Public Security School, later renamed People's Security University, now People's Security Academy. After that, he studied and researched the field of law, receiving a PhD in Jurisprudence. On 22 October 2015, he was awarded the academic title Professor of Security Sciences.
Lâm was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam on 22 August 1981, becoming a full member of the party on 22 August 1982. During his Party and State activities, he studied a course at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, receiving an Advanced degree in political theory.
Early career
Tô Lâm's career in public security began with his education at the Central Police School in 1974, followed by his studies at the Vietnam People's Security Academy from October 1974 to October 1979. After graduating with a degree in security, he joined the Vietnam People's Public Security. Between 1979 and 1993, he served in the Political Protection Department I, eventually rising to the position of Deputy Chief in December 1988.From 1993 to 2006, Tô Lâm's career advanced as he became the deputy director and later the Director of various departments within the Ministry of Public Security, including the Political Protection Department I and III. In 2006, he was appointed deputy director of the General Security Department, and by 2007, he had risen to the rank of Major-General. His leadership continued as he became the Director of the General Security Department I in 2009, and in July 2010, he was promoted to Lieutenant-General.
Tô Lâm's influence grew as he was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Security in August 2010 and became a member of the Party Central Committee during the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January 2011. His role in international relations was highlighted in 2011 when he received US Ambassador Ted Osius in Hanoi to discuss strengthening the partnership between the two nations. According to Voice of America, the US Ambassador commented on him:
"Lâm is also a tough character, but intelligent and interested in strengthening cooperation with the United States in a number of fields."
In June 2011, he was appointed Secretary of the Central Police Party Committee, and by September 2014, he was promoted to Colonel General by President Truong Tan Sang. His career continued to ascend as he served as Deputy Minister of Public Security and was promoted to Senior Lieutenant-General/Colonel General in early 2016. In April 2016, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption by General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, and in July of the same year, he was named Head of the Central Highlands Steering Committee. From 2016 to 2024, he held several key positions, including Minister of Public Security and Vice Chairman of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption. His contributions were further recognized in January 2019 when he was promoted to the rank of General by President Nguyen Phu Trong.
Rise to power
Minister of Public Security
In April 2016, the 13th National Assembly confirmed Lâm as Minister of Public Security. Shortly thereafter, the Politburo appointed him Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee. On 28 July 2016, at the first session of the 14th National Assembly, President Trần Đại Quang appointed him to the position of Minister of Public Security of the 14th Government of Vietnam, term 2016—2021. In this new term, he became the highest leader of the Vietnam People's Police, working under the Government led by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. His mandate included overseeing national security, social order, counterintelligence, and criminal investigations.On 27 April 2016, Lâm was appointed by the Politburo to concurrently hold the position of Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption of the Communist Party of Vietnam, to participate in assisting and supporting the Head of the committee, General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, in anti-corruption work. On 30 July 2016, he was assigned by the Politburo to hold the position of Head of the Central Highlands Steering Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. On 11 October 2017, at the 6th Central Conference of the 12th term, the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam agreed to end the activity of the Northwest, Central Highlands, and Southwest Steering Committees; he was relieved from this position.
On 29 January 2019, Lâm was promoted by General Secretary and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng from Senior General to Police General together with Army General Lương Cường, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army. On 30 January 2021, at the Central election, he was elected as an official member of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. One day later, at the first session of the 13th Party Central Committee, he was elected a member of the 13th Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Following the 13th National Congress in early 2021, Lâm retained his seats on both the Central Committee and the Politburo, and was subsequently re-appointed as Minister of Public Security for the 2021–2026 term.
On 25 August 2021, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính signed Decision No. 1438/QD-TTg, appointing Lâm as a member of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, Head of the Social Order and Security Subcommittee.
Major cases
In 2016, Trịnh Xuân Thanh; former member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hậu Giang province and Delegates of the 14th National Assembly; was investigated and concluded that he had many shortcomings and serious violations during his time working at Petrovietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation; being investigated by the Police Agency, the Ministry of Public Security issued a decision to prosecute the defendant for intentionally violating State regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences; At the same time, issued a temporary arrest warrant and a search warrant for Trịnh Xuân Thanh. After determining that Trịnh Xuân Thanh had fled, the Ministry of Public Security issued a national and international arrest warrant for him. Minister Lâm directed the arrest of Trịnh Xuân Thanh and resolved this special criminal case. German investigators and Slovak police accused Lâm of directing the arrest of figures from Germany through international cooperation with Slovakia and Russia. According to German and Slovak authorities, the kidnapping of Thanh occurred during a trip of Lâm in July 2017, and this affected Vietnam's diplomatic relations with Germany and Slovakia.High-level leadership case: since 2016, he has been assigned the position of Minister of Public Security and Deputy Head of the Central Anti-Corruption Commission, assistant to General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Lâm has directed the police in investigating, handling, and prosecuting corruption and serious violations, including many large, national cases. We can mention the case of Đinh La Thăng: prosecution, trial, and sentence of 30 years in prison for former Politburo member, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Đinh La Thăng due to economic management violations while holding the position of Chairman of Vietnam Oil and Gas Group; The case of the former Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyễn Bắc Son and Trương Minh Tuấn on charges of violating management regulations, using public investment capital causing serious consequences and accepting bribes, sentenced to life imprisonment and 14 years in prison respectively; The case of former Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee, Nguyễn Đức Chung being arrested and investigated for appropriating secret State documents. In 2022, he and the Ministry of Public Security investigated into two major scandals related to the case of repatriation flights to "rescue" citizens returning to the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the scandal at the Việt Á company caused many officials to be investigated and imprisoned.
The attack on two Commune People's Committee headquarters in Đắk Lắk 2023: At a discussion in the National Assembly on 20 June, Lâm commented: The incident in Dak Lak shows that security cannot be overlooked at the base.