Po Phaok The was now appointed as new ruler at the strong insistance of the Viceroy of Lower Cochinchina, Lê Văn Duyệt who maintained a largely autonomous position outside immediate imperial control.
Po Phaok The was granted the Vietnamese title Thuận Thành trấn Khâm sai Thống binh cai cơ.
[3] During his reign, Champa did not have a direct relationship with Huế court as was the case under his predecessor; they only sent tribute to Lê Văn Duyệt in Lower Cochinchina.
[4] Lê Văn Duyệt fell seriously ill in the early 1830s, which gave Minh Mang an opportunity to strengthen his position in the south.
At the same time, a group of Cham dignitaries sent a secret missive to the Emperor where they complained about Po Phaok The, officially since he had not sent revenue to the court in Huế.
In fact, the dignitaries realized that Lê Văn Duyệt would not live much longer and wished to save their own skins when Minh Mang struck back.
For Minh Mang, this showed that there was no cohesion among the Cham elite, and that the Viceroy's grip in Champa was slipping.
At the same time, Champa was annexed by Vietnam as Minh Mang ordered to occupy the land and punish the population for their support of Lê Văn Duyệt.