Leaving military intelligence is unsafe, does top army spy Pham Ngoc Hung follow his successor Nguyen Chi Vinh?

Pham Ngoc Hung, who has been the Director General of General Department II for 9 years

The stories in the intelligence forces are often the ones that don’t have a happy ending. Because in the political circle, people like to use intelligence to defeat their opponents, but are afraid of being brought down by intelligence. Because once the intelligence side investigates other people’s stories, they also investigate their own. The General Department II of Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense at the time of Nguyen Chi Vinh has “pointed guns” at comrades. Much of the work of this General Department is to collect the shocking secrets of the important members of the party’s Central Committee and the Politburo members.

Pham Ngoc Hung, aka Hung Tut, used to be Nguyen Chi Vinh’s deputy in the General Department I. Later, in the position of Deputy Minister of National Defense, Nguyen Chi Vinh helped Pham Ngoc Hung to take the position of General Director of the General Department II since 2014. Thus, up to now, Hung Tut has held General Department 2 for 9 years. Usually a Director General holds the position for no more than 10 years. If nothing changes, by 2024, Hung Tut will leave his position.

Knowledgeable people consider Pham Ngoc Hung to be more intelligent and more timely than Nguyen Chi Vinh. If it is said that Nguyen Chi Vinh is only dedicated to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, then Pham Ngoc Hung is not loyal to anyone for a long time.

Mr. Hung could be loyal to Nguyen Tan Dung, when the later was still the government leader. Then he was loyal to Nguyen Xuan Phuc when he was Prime Minister. And now, he supports Pham Minh Chinh a lot, helping the incumbent PM have the same power as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in the Ministry of Defense. Someone said, if PM Chinh does not have support from the Ministry of National Defense, he would have been forced to retire like Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Thus, it can be said that Pham Ngoc Hung is loyal to the higher positions, not to any individual. Hung is only loyal to the Prime Minister’s seat. So no matter who holds this position, he still prioritizes loyalty to him, and ignores those who have lost their real power. When Nguyen Xuan Phuc held the PM position from 2016 to 2021, then Hung Tut was only loyal to Phuc during that period. After Phuc was transferred to the State President’s chair, Pham Ngoc Hung ignored him, and let Phuc fell from his horse after 2 years, because he could no longer grasp the “mortal grave” of comrades, he was removed from the government by his comrades.

Taking down a Director of General Intelligence while in office is a very difficult matter. Pham Ngoc Hung is holding the position, and of course, in his hand, there is no shortage of stories that can scare the Politburo members. In fact, Hung Tut has held this position for 9 years, now, it is almost time to leave the position according to the regime’s rules. Besides, Hung is now 63 years old, next year will be 64, equal to the retirement age of Nguyen Chi Vinh. It is highly likely that Pham Ngoc Hung will retire in 2024. At that time, it is considered that he has left the “cocoon” of General Department II, more or less good.

There is information that Nguyen Chi Vinh was very sick, because he knew too much, it seems that Pham Ngoc Hung is also difficult to avoid the same ending. For nearly 10 years as the General Director of the General Department of Military Intelligence, Mr. Pham Ngoc Hung not only knows a lot, but also knows current issues.

The “cocoon” is very important, it helps people in it to be safer. The lesson has been many, Tran Dai Quang after leaving his “cocoon” of the Ministry of Public Security, how has the ending, the truth is clear. Recently, police chief To Lam decided not to leave his “cocoon” to sit in the Presidential chair for “safety” reasons only. And surely, Pham Ngoc Hung also knows the endings for those who “know too much.” No enemy can defeat a former General Director of General Department II, only comrades beat each other.

Someone commented that, the Secretariat is also the “cocoon” of the General Secretary, if, one day, the General loses power he will not be safe. Because he also had a mysterious “stroke” while in the “cocoon.” And maybe, that’s also the reason for him to keep his position to death.

Thoibao.de (Translated)

Kasse animation 7.8.2023