Chamber Head Disavows Quote in Vietnan : Media: Co Pham says he never praised communists for practicing democracy. Account of his speech triggered local anger.

Co Pham, the leader of an Orange County trade delegation traveling in Vietnam, stressed Wednesday that he believes “there is no real democracy in Vietnam” and said he is telling that to government leaders there.

Pham’s comments followed a local newspaper report of a speech Pham made in Hanoi. The newspaper quoted Pham as suggesting he represents the Vietnamese community in praising communist leaders for practicing democracy.

“Never did I say that,” Pham told The Times. “The day after, I even told the vice president that there is no real democracy in Vietnam.

“I’m not stupid. I know they’re paying attention back there” in Orange County.

The newspaper report triggered an angry reaction from some Vietnamese anti-communists who oppose the trade mission by Pham and 23 other delegates. It is the first such trip by a delegation since a trade embargo was lifted by President Clinton.

Pham’s opponents in Orange County’s Vietnamese community have denounced the trip as misrepresenting the views of most Vietnamese Americans, and they fear that any effort to promote economic progress in that country will extend the tenure of communist leaders and perpetuate human rights violations.

Pham said he has demanded a correction from the Orange County Register.

According to the Register story published Tuesday, Pham told Vietnam leaders that Vietnamese overseas support “your revolutionary ways, so Vietnam can be as prosperous as other countries.” The Register also quoted Pham as saying: “You are practicing democracy in Vietnam in a wise way.”

According to the story, Pham’s statements were made during a meeting between U.S. delegates and a member of the Vietnam National Assembly, the main legislative body in the country. The meeting was simulcast in English and Vietnamese, with Pham speaking in Vietnamese, translated by a government liaison.

The liaison, Hoang Cong Thuy, told The Times that the Register’s account of the translation was inaccurate. Two Times correspondents at the meeting, one recording the talk in Vietnamese and the other in English, could find no record of Pham making such statements about democracy in Vietnam.

“There were a lot of people who witnessed what was said,” Thuy said. “I am trying to be as careful as possible with my translation. I’m very frustrated about the quote; it has made me uncomfortable. This has never happened before, never ever.”

Phone calls to the Register were not returned.

The Vietnamese Community of Southern California, an anti-communist group, Tuesday reported dozens of calls demanding Pham’s resignation from the chamber.

“We referred them to the Chamber of Commerce,” said Ban Bui, president of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California. “Here, we are already against the communists and against Mr. Co. It doesn’t make a difference if people call and tell us that.”

Bui said he plans to create a second chamber of commerce if Pham doesn’t resign or hold another election this month.

Pham responded: “It’s a free country and he can do what he wants to do. I can’t control that.” He added that he was elected to a two-year term in May and doesn’t plan to resign or hold another election until then.

Andrew Lai, project coordinator for the chamber, said nobody called this week demanding Pham’s resignation. Lai refused to comment on Pham’s quotes in the Register.

Times staff writer Lily Dizon and correspondent Thuan Le contributed to this report from Vietnam.