Michael Vo
By Staff
The Associated Press
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — The first Vietnamese American to serve on the Fountain Valley City Council is opposing plans for Vietnamese officials to visit the Orange County city.
The local Chamber of Commerce invited the delegation of officials and business leaders to visit in March, although the visit hasn’t been confirmed.
Mayor Pro Tem Michael Vo says Vietnam doesn’t respect human rights and the visit could spark protests from the large local Vietnamese community.
The Los Angeles Times says Vo also argues in a letter to the chamber and council members that police services would be financially drained.
Vo says nearly 300 demonstrators showed up when a Vietnamese theater troupe arrived last fall and the city spent nearly $8,000 on police services to control the crowd. (end)