Nông Đức Mạnh

Nông Ðức Mạnh (Vietnamese: [nǝwŋm ɗɨ́k mâjŋ̟ˀ] ; born 11 September 1940) is a Vietnamese politician
who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the most powerful position in the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, from 22 April 2001 to 19 January 2011.[1] His parents were Tày peasants.
[2]
Nông Ðức Mạnh was born in Cường Lợi, Na Rì District, Bắc Kạn Province. His own son is Nông Quốc
Tuấn, party secretary for Bắc Giang Province.

Background Nông Ðức Mạnh

It has long been rumoured that Nông Ðức Mạnh

is the illegitimate son of Hồ Chí Minh (1890–
1969) and Nông Thị Trưng (1921–2003), Hồ's
housekeeper from 1941–42. This story may
have been a factor in his selection as party
leader.[3] In a profile of Mạnh published in the
official press immediately after he gained this
position, Trưng was identified as his mother.[4]

Nông Ðức Mạnh's official biography gives his

date of birth as 11 September 1940 and he was
born to a peasant family from the Tày ethnic
minority[5] when Hồ Chí Minh was still in China.
[6]
Ho returned to Vietnam in February 1941[7]
Nông Ðức Mạnh in 2010
and met Trưng in July. Hồ wrote a four-line
poem for Trưng in 1944, and gave her a General Secretary of the Communist Party of
[8] Vietnam
notebook as "a token of my love".
In office
This poem was later taught to elementary 22 April 2001 – 19 January 2011
school students. In April 2001, shortly after
Preceded by Lê Khả Phiêu
Nông Ðức Mạnh was named as General
Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, a Succeeded by Nguyễn Phú Trọng
reporter at a news conference asked him to
Secretary of the Central Military Commission of the
confirm or deny the rumor. He responded, "All Communist Party
Vietnamese people are the children of Uncle In office
Hồ." When asked again about the rumor in 22 April 2001 – 19 January 2011
January 2002 by a Time Asia reporter, he
Preceded by Lê Khả Phiêu
denied he was Hồ's son and stated that his
father was named Nông Văn Lại and his mother Succeeded by Nguyễn Phú Trọng

Hoàng Thị Nhị.[9] Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam

In office
 23 September 1992 – 27 June 2001
Early life and political career
Preceded by Lê Quang Ðạo

In 1958–61, Nông Ðức Mạnh attended the Hanoi

Succeeded by Nguyễn Văn An
Higher School. From 1962–63, he worked as a
forestry supervisory technician in the Bắc Kạn Personal details

Forestry Service. He joined the Communist Born 11 September 1940

Party on 5 July 1963 and received full Na Rì, Bắc Kạn Province,
membership on 10 July 1964. From 1963–65, French Indochina

Mạnh was the deputy chief of the Bạch Thông

Political party Communist Party of
wood exploitation team; he later returned to his Vietnam
studies, learning Russian at the Hanoi Foreign
Spouse(s) Lý Thị Bang
Languages College (from 1965–66). He traveled
(m. 1965; died 2010)
to Leningrad, where he studied at the Forestry
Ðỗ Thị Huyền Tâm (m. 2012)
Institute until 1971. After returning to Vietnam,
he became the deputy head of the Bắc Thái Alma mater Leningrad State Forestry
University
provincial forestry inspection board.[2]
Ho Chi Minh National
Academy of Academy of
Politics

Nông Ðức Mạnh with George W. Bush

From 1973–74, Nông Ðức Mạnh served as director of the Phú Lương State Forestry Camp in Bắc Thái
province. From 1974–76, he studied at the Nguyễn Ái Quốc High-Level Party School. From 1976–80, he
served as the deputy director of the provincial forestry service and director of the construction
company of the provincial forestry service. Rising through the party ranks, Mạnh was a member of the
Bắc Thái Provincial Party Committee from 1976–83. In 1984, he was named deputy secretary of the
committee, and in November 1986, the secretary of the committee. At the 6th National Congress he
was elected as an alternate member of the Central Committee. At the sixth party plenum in March
1989, he was elevated to full central committee member. Since 1991, he has been in the politburo. From
23 September 1992, he was Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, thereby being one of the
youngest when standing on the stage of honor of a Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam.[10]

Nông Ðức Mạnh was selected General Secretary of the Communist Party in April 2001. His term was
renewed in April 2006. He retired on 19 January 2011 after 11th National Congress of the Communist
Party of Vietnam. He is the first Vietnamese party head with a university degree. He announced his
plans for Vietnam's future as an industrialised country, to be completed by 2020.[11]

Awards and honors

 Cuba:
Order of José Martí (6 March 2004)[12]
Russia:
Order of Friendship (7 February 2000)[13]

Medal of Pushkin (28 February 2008)[14]

References

1. Vietnam: Foreign Policy and Government Guide International Business Publications, USA. – 2007 Page 8
"Vietnamese Government Communist state – General Secretary Nông Ðức Mạnh – President Nguyễn Minh Triết –
Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng "

2. Biography of Nông Ðức Mạnh, the General Secretary of the CPV (http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/news/story.
php?d=20010422215101) , VNA, 22 April 2001

3. Duiker, William J. (2000). Ho Chi Minh. New York: Hyperion. Kindle location 11915. eBook ISBN 978-1-4013-0561-
1.

4. A footnote reads, "Mrs. Nông Thị Trưng is the mother of Comrade Nông Ðức Mạnh" ("Tổng Bí thư Nông Ðức Mạnh
trong ký ức của một người thầy" ("A teacher remembers General Secretary Nông Ðức Mạnh"), Thế Giới Mới (New
World), Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam, 30 April 2001, No. 434.)

5. Từ điển Bách khoa Việt Nam (The Encyclopedia of Vietnam), volume 3 (N-S), Hanoi, 2003. p. 302.

6. "Great 'Uncle Ho' may have been a mere mortal" (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/08/14/1029113955533.

html) . The Age. 15 August 2002. Retrieved 2 August 2009.

7. Green, Richard E. Hồ Chí Minh biography (http://www.tactileint.com/seasia/saigon/hochiminh.html) Archived (htt

ps://web.archive.org/web/20100306181644/http://www.tactileint.com/seasia/saigon/hochiminh.html) 2010-03-
06 at the Wayback Machine

8. "This notebook I endear it to my beloved niece/As a token of my love/With the wish that you try to study/To build
the nation later on..." (Hồ Chí Minh, "Tặng cháu Nông Thị Trưng" ("Present for Nông Thị Trưng"), 1944); in
Vietnamese, see here (http://vannghequandoi.com.vn/binh-lun-vn-ngh/hc-tp-a-lam-theo-tm-gng-o-c-h-chi-minh/
3396-tr-em-trong-th-bac-h.html) and here (http://www.tuoitre.com.vn/tianyon/PrintView.aspx?ArticleID=20363
5&ChannelID=410) .

9. "We don't want to keep secrets anymore" (https://web.archive.org/web/20020208004050/http://www.time.com/ti

me/asia/news/interview/0,9754,195506,00.html) , Time Asia, 22 January 2002.

10. Communist Party of Vietnam. 9th National Congress: Documents. Hanoi: Thế Giới Publishers, 2001. pp. 261–63.

11. "Modernising leader for Vietnam" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1291000.stm) , BBC News, 22 April

2001.

12. "Recibe Nong Duc Manh la Orden José Martí" (https://www.granma.cu/granmad/secciones/visitas/viet_nam/art03.

html) . Granma. 2004-03-07. Retrieved 2023-04-08.

13. "Уĸаз Президента Российсĸой Федерации от 07.02.2000 г. № 308" (http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/bank/15163) .

President of Russia. 2000-02-07. Retrieved April 8, 2023.

14. "Уĸаз Президента Российсĸой Федерации от 28.02.2008 г. № 261" (http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/bank/26964) .

President of Russia. 2008-02-28. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
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