▁con quest ▁of ▁Lu ang ▁Nam tha ▁Province . ▁After ▁the ▁victory ▁in ▁Lu ang ▁Nam tha ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Vietnam ▁and ▁studied ▁at ▁a ▁military ▁college . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁La os ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁became ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁organ izing ▁committee ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁X ien g ▁K hu ang . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁he ▁became ▁Deput y ▁Commander ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Front ▁in ▁Lu ang ▁P rab ang ▁Province . ▁Here ▁he ▁also ▁joined ▁the ▁coal ition ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁and ▁became ▁party ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁defence ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁neutral ▁city ▁Lu ang ▁P rab ang . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁he ▁became ▁political ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁northern ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Vietnam ▁to ▁study ▁political ▁theory . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁he ▁became ▁political ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁he ▁also ▁worked ▁as ▁Governor ▁of ▁Sav ann ak het ▁Province ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁when ▁he ▁became ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁Prior ▁to ▁becoming ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁In ▁addition ,