Foes Take New Tack for Ouster of Vietnamese Chamber Head : Politics: Some Little Saigon activists who oppose Co Pham’s stance on ties to Hanoi say they’ll start an ‘alternative’ business group unless he steps down.

A few activists in Little Saigon are spearheading a new tactic in an ongoing battle to oust Dr. Co Pham as president of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce in Orange County, saying he does not represent the interests of the community.

An article of incorporation to create a second chamber of commerce was approved by the California secretary of state’s office earlier this month. The brainchild of activist Ban Bui, the Free Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce will serve as an “alternative” for Little Saigon businesses who don’t agree with Pham, Bui said.

For months, protesters in front of Pham’s office have demanded that he step down as president of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce because of his ongoing efforts to open business ties with the Communist government in Vietnam.

Bui said a second chamber will diminish Pham’s clout as a business leader because “he won’t have a following in the Vietnamese community.” The Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce has nearly 200 members, about half of whom are non-Vietnamese. It started as a nonprofit organization in the late 1970s with a federal grant that was intended to help the Vietnamese community become self-sufficient, said Andrew Lai, a project coordinator for the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce.

Dieu Le, president of Nguoi Viet Daily News, said the creation of a second chamber of commerce might be “a bit rushed.” He’d rather see both sides negotiate terms that don’t result in a split, he said. But if a faction of the community isn’t getting its needs served, then an alternative might be the way to go, he said.

“Having another chamber is not necessarily a bad thing,” Le said. “We have many newspapers serving a community, and that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes, it can be a good thing.”

The new chamber of commerce will operate like a business information warehouse, where residents can learn about a range of issues, from taxes to trade abuses. But it will also focus on community activities and, most important, will not have any ties with the Communist regime in Vietnam, said Tien Doan, attorney in charge of incorporating the nonprofit organization.

Still in its infancy, the new chamber hasn’t begun enrolling members yet. No meeting has been set, and organizers are still searching for a place to establish its headquarters, Doan said.

“We are fully recognized by the state of California, but we haven’t been activated yet,” Doan said. “We’re still holding out on any chance that (Pham) might resign” as head of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce.

Pham, an obstetrician, did not return repeated phone calls to his office Wednesday. However, he said earlier this month that he doesn’t intend to resign.

Pham has said that he believes economic ties between the United States and Vietnam will benefit citizens of both countries. As president of the chamber, Pham organized trade mission to Vietnam earlier this month. He has received numerous death threats as a result.

Since talk of the trade mission began, a handful of members has resigned from the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, said former board member Long Le.

“I resigned because the chamber was becoming too political, and I have no political ambitions,” Le said.

Critics, who are vocal in their opposition of economic ties with Vietnam, say the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce failed to represent Little Saigon’s business community. They assert that any economic stability in Vietnam will only prolong a government with a questionable human rights record.

“There are at least 1,000 businesses in Little Saigon,” said Cau Tran, owner of Delta Pharmacy on Bolsa Avenue. “The Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce represents only a tiny portion of that.

“Many businessmen here don’t want or need to do business in Vietnam. What they need is knowing where to go to file a tax license or get educated about management tactics. And right now, they don’t even know to go to the chamber.”