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Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen.

Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen stood alone among his council colleagues in refusing to sign a letter to Riverside asking it to rescind a sister-city relationship with Can Tho, Vietnam.

And he has paid a political price for it within the Vietnamese American community getting hit with accusations of being pro-communist.

In response, Nguyen released a statement saying he is opposed to communism in Vietnam because I am opposed to oppression and corruption everywhere. He links the communitys fervent anti-communism to the need to battle corruption in Garden Grove if we are to believe in democratic principles.

We have affirmed the sacrifices made by those of generations before mine, of which I am a direct beneficiary, Nguyen said. As mayor of Garden Grove, I am committed to upholding the communitys desire to never be in a sister-city relationship with any authoritarian regime, such as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Nguyen, though, said during last weeks City Council meeting filled to capacity with those supporting the letter that he did not believe it was right for Garden Grove to tell another American city what to do. He urged residents to focus on issues such as the district attorneys investigation into the Fire Department and improving transparency.

Reactions to his statement were swift.

Leslie Le, a prominent figure in Vietnamese politics, said Nguyens stance on Riversides new relationship with Vietnam a country controlled by a Communist government and with a horrendous record on human rights means he does not deserve the honor of being mayor.

Several people after the meeting said he should be recalled.

Because the effort to nullify Riversides cultural partnership with Can Tho is futile, Nguyen said the city and residents should focus political energy on other matters.

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Mayor of Garden Grove responds to charges that he's soft on communism