The Latest: State-affiliated media outlets in Việt Nam quickly revised published reports after initially stating that the Vietnam Association for Protection of Child Rights (VACR) “elevated” Ngô Phương Ly, the wife of President Tô Lâm, to the position of honorary chairwoman.
The Details: On the morning of May 6, the VACR held an extraordinary congress to review the implementation of policies related to child rights during the first half of its fourth term, which spans from 2023 to 2028.
During this conference, the association “invited” and “approved by vote” the appointment of Ngô Phương Ly as the honorary chairwoman, reporting a 100% approval rate. Ly did not attend the event in person; however, the association stated that she had consented to the appointment.
Following the congress, Vietnam Children Magazine, the official publication of the association, and Vietnam Women, the central publication of the Vietnam Women’s Union, published articles with headlines reading “Elevating Ngô Phương Ly…” and “Elevating the Honorary Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Protection of Child Rights.”
By the morning of May 7, both outlets had revised the articles. The term “elevating” was replaced by phrases such as “invited” and “elected.”
Both articles now share the identical headline: “Ngô Phương Ly Invited to Serve as Honorary Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Protection of Child Rights.” It remains unclear why the outlets altered both the titles and the contents of the articles.
The Background: The Hoàng Phê Dictionary (2003) defines the term “elevating” (suy tôn in Vietnamese) as “to raise someone to an exalted position.” The dictionary provides the example, “Elevating someone as a master.”
The term is commonly used in the context of appointing religious or spiritual leaders. Historically, the term is also widely associated with the song “Suy Tôn Ngô Tổng Thống” (“Elevating President Ngô”), which refers to Ngô Đình Diệm. The song was composed by Ngọc Bích and Thanh Nam during the Republic of Việt Nam era.
The Context: When Tô Lâm was elected general secretary on Aug. 3, 2024, party publications and state media utilized the term “suy tôn” to describe his appointment.
Prior to that event, several party leaders had similarly been described using the term when they were appointed as honorary chairpersons of certain organizations.
However, there are almost no previous cases where the spouse of a political leader has been described using the term “suy tôn.”
Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 7, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.
