Ethnic minority deputies to Vietnam’s National Assembly serve as bridges connecting the voices of remote villages with national policymaking, transforming Party guidelines into tangible benefits for the people.
Tran Thi Hoa Ry, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Ethnic Council: Grounding policy in reality
Re-elected to the National Assembly six times, Tran Thi Hoa Ry has accumulated experience through each term, maintaining close ties with voters and steadily affirming her role as a grassroots-oriented legislator.
An ethnic Khmer born in Hung Hoi commune in Bac Lieu Province before administrative restructuring - now part of Ca Mau Province - National Assembly deputy Tran Thi Hoa Ry brings to the legislature not only professional knowledge, but also the lived experiences of someone raised in a region rich in cultural identity yet still facing many hardships.
After being elected to the National Assembly six times, Tran Thi Hoa Ry has built extensive parliamentary experience, remained closely connected with voters and gradually established herself as a representative deeply rooted in local realities.
Having spent many years working in ethnic affairs and holding leadership positions in local ethnic affairs agencies, she understands the practical needs of ethnic minority communities.
For her, that understanding forms the foundation for contributing to policymaking, from discussing and reviewing draft laws to shaping major decisions, particularly in socio-economic development, education, healthcare, cultural preservation, human resource development and livelihoods in ethnic minority and mountainous regions.
According to Tran Thi Hoa Ry, effective policy must be grounded in reality and built through listening to and understanding people’s legitimate aspirations.
In her view, deputies are not only “bridges” between voters and the Party and State, but also genuine representatives of the people’s will in shaping and deciding policy.
That is why grassroots visits and voter meetings are not merely opportunities to listen, but also chances to verify realities on the ground and formulate recommendations based on practical needs.
Throughout her years in the National Assembly, Tran Thi Hoa Ry has consistently maintained close ties with voters, carefully listening to and promptly conveying their legitimate concerns to parliament.
This approach has enabled her to contribute significantly to improving policies, especially national target programs on poverty reduction, new rural development and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Over more than two decades in parliament, her legacy lies not only in speeches or recommendations, but in her persistence in narrowing development gaps between regions.
According to Tran Thi Hoa Ry, ethnic policies in recent years have played an important role in improving the lives of ethnic minority communities, strengthening the great national unity bloc and maintaining national defense and security.
Tran Thi Hoa Ry presents gifts and Lunar New Year wishes to Khmer communities in Ca Mau during the Chôl Chnăm Thmây festival in 2026.
Reflecting on 80 years of ethnic affairs, Tran Thi Hoa Ry, in her capacity as Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Ethnic Council, said there is a need to continue renewing thinking in ethnic affairs by shifting from a “support” approach to one focused on “creating development opportunities.”
She also stressed the importance of refining policies to better match realities, strengthening oversight and building a team of officials who stay close to and understand the people.
She highlighted the role of grassroots officials, village elders and reputable community figures as “extended arms” helping policies reach daily life.
According to her, this is a crucial factor in consolidating national unity and promoting sustainable development in ethnic minority regions.
Nguyen Thi Suu, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hue City: Development must rely on people’s own strength
Nguyen Thi Suu, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hue City.
An ethnic Ta Oi woman born in the mountainous district of A Luoi, Nguyen Thi Suu - also known as Ke Suu - grew up under difficult conditions.
She did not enter first grade until the age of nine, but through perseverance completed her education and later became a student at Hue University of Education’s Faculty of Literature.
Beginning her career as a teacher, Nguyen Thi Suu viewed education not merely as the transmission of knowledge, but as a journey of nurturing cultural awareness, ethnic pride and aspirations for advancement.
Becoming the first Ta Oi person to earn a doctorate marked an important milestone, laying the groundwork for her later leadership and management roles.
One major turning point came when she was appointed Vice Chairwoman of the A Luoi District People’s Committee from 2008 to 2010.
In that position, she directly addressed local development challenges such as sustainable poverty reduction, improving educational quality, infrastructure development and preserving cultural values.
From 2010 to 2017, while serving as head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of Thua Thien-Hue Province, Nguyen Thi Suu helped shape policies through an integrated approach combining economic development, cultural preservation and human resource improvement.
She placed particular emphasis on the “internal strength” of ethnic minority communities.
No matter what position she has held, Nguyen Thi Suu has consistently maintained the view that development in ethnic minority regions must rely on the people’s own capabilities.
For that reason, her proposals have focused not only on economics, but also on cultural preservation, human development and strengthening grassroots political systems.
Since 2021, in her role as Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hue City, Nguyen Thi Suu has continued to demonstrate close engagement in parliamentary work, especially through voter meetings and promptly conveying the concerns of ethnic minority communities.
Nguyen Thi Suu surveys living conditions in low-lying areas and listens to voters’ opinions on disaster prevention and livelihood support after floods in Phong Phu Ward, Hue City.
Among the Ta Oi people, Ke Suu is regarded as a “forest flower” of the Truong Son mountain range - a symbol of intellect and dedication.
After more than 20 years of field research, collection and study, Nguyen Thi Suu has published 15 works on the folk culture of the Ta Oi, Co Tu and Bru Van Kieu ethnic groups, contributing to the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values.
Trang A Duong, full-time member of the National Assembly’s Ethnic Council and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Morocco Friendship Parliamentarians Group: Contributing to ethnic policy development.
Trang A Duong speaks at the National Assembly.
Born in Lung Phinh commune in Lao Cai Province, within the rich cultural environment of the Mong ethnic group, Trang A Duong developed a strong sense of attachment and responsibility toward his community from an early age.
As an ethnic minority official who spent 21 years working with the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs - now the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs - and holding various leadership positions, he has gained deep understanding of ethnic minority customs, traditions and the implementation of ethnic policies.
With more than two decades of experience, he has accumulated extensive grassroots knowledge, which has served him well in policy consultation and development.
Since 2021, as a full-time National Assembly deputy at the Ethnic Council, he has been deeply involved in reviewing draft laws and resolutions, especially those directly related to ethnic minority and mountainous regions.
According to him, the key factor is listening to and promptly reflecting the concerns of ethnic communities, particularly practical issues such as shortages of residential land, production land, clean water, and the training and employment of ethnic minority officials.
These issues, he said, are consistently brought to parliament from the perspective of grassroots realities.
A defining feature of his work has been his consistent closeness to local communities.
From parliamentary sessions to voter meetings, he considers truthfully reflecting people’s opinions to be his central mission.
Issues such as sustainable poverty reduction, education, cultural preservation and resource management are approached from the specific needs of each locality and ethnic group.
As a full-time member of the National Assembly’s Ethnic Council during the 15th and 16th terms, Trang A Duong has participated in reviewing many important issues, including resolutions aimed at resolving difficulties in implementing the Land Law and supervising national target programs on new rural development, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions.
During sessions of the 15th and 16th National Assemblies, he has actively delivered speeches and participated in discussions focused on lawmaking and development in ethnic minority regions, with the goal of unlocking local potential, promoting self-reliance and inspiring aspirations for advancement among ethnic minority communities.
Ethnic minority deputies maintain close connections between parliament and grassroots communities, carrying village voices into the National Assembly while bringing policies into daily life through responsibility and understanding.
From these individual stories, it is clear that ethnic minority deputies do not merely bring the voices of villages into the National Assembly, but also help translate policy into reality through responsibility and empathy.
In the current context, that role has become even more important, helping ensure that policies are accurate, practical and effective for the sustainable development of ethnic minority and mountainous regions.
“Over 15 terms and throughout 80 years accompanying the nation, ethnic minority deputies to the National Assembly have continuously matured and become increasingly involved in legislation, oversight and decision-making on major national issues,” General Secretary and State President To Lam said at a meeting with ethnic minority deputies of the 16th National Assembly on April 20, 2026.
Vietnamnet.vn
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