Gilbert Đinh Văn Thân, more commonly known as Đinh Văn Thân, is a
ni-Vanuatu
Ni-Vanuatu (informally abbreviated Ni-Van) is a large group of closely related Melanesian ethnic groups native to the island country of Vanuatu. As such, ''Ni-Vanuatu'' are a mixed ethnolinguistic group with a shared ethnogenesis that speak a mu ...
"prominent businessman" and former politician.
Ron Crocombe Ronald Gordon Crocombe (8 October 1929 – 19 June 2009) was a Professor of Pacific Studies at the University of the South Pacific. His reputation was such that he was described as the "father of Pacific Studies".
Biography
Ron Crocombe was born i ...
described him in 2007 as "perhaps the wealthiest entrepreneur and largest private employer in Vanuatu and many say the most politically influential
..citizen".
Thân is a
naturalised citizen
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
of Vanuatu. The ''
Vanuatu Daily Post
The ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' is a newspaper published in Port Vila in Vanuatu. It is the only daily newspaper in Vanuatu.
The newspaper's founder, Marc Neil-Jones, had been the victim of physical attacks supported by government ministers during ...
'' describes him as "a ni-Vanuatu of
Vietnamese parentage". His father began his work in Vanuatu as an "
indentured labourer".
The Đinh family have been described as long-standing supporters of the
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati () is a democratic socialist political party in Vanuatu.
History
The party was founded on 17 August 1971 by Walter Lini as the New Hebridean Cultural Association, renamed later that same year as the New Hebrides National Party ...
. In 1991, when the party was about to split, Thân supported its founder and then-leader, the first
Prime Minister of Vanuatu
The prime minister of Vanuatu is the head of government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
The office of Prime Minister was created under the Constitution of Vanuatu upon the country's independence in 1980, with independence campaigner Walter Lin ...
,
Walter Lini
Walter Hadye Lin̄i (1942 – 21 February 1999) was a Raga Anglican priest and politician who was the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, from independence in 1980 to 1991. He was born at Agatoa village, Pentecost Island. On his mother's side ...
. Thân hosted meetings of Lini and his supporters, and enabled Lini to set up "headquarters" on the premises of one of the companies he owned. Later that year, when Lini was ousted from the leadership of the Vanua'aku Pati, and founded the
National United Party, Thân was a prominent member. The relationship between the two men was close; Thân was literally adopted into Lini's family the same year. Vanua'aku Pati "campaign materials" responded to the split by accusing the NUP of serving Thân's interests, and described Thân as "the owner, financier, host, organiser, director" of the new party. Academic Howard Van Trease suggests it was Thân who advised Lini to create the National United Party, and subsequently to enter into a coalition government with the
Union of Moderate Parties
The Union of Moderate Parties (french: Union des partis moderés) is a liberal political party in Vanuatu founded in 1981. At the last general election, held on 22 January 2016, they won 9.73% of the vote and 6 seats. It is currently headed by Is ...
. Thân was also a major provider of funds to the party.
Thân obtained the leadership of the NUP in 1999, and led it into the
May 2002 general election. In 2003, he was "ousted" and replaced as party leader by
Ham Lini
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...
, Walter Lini's brother, who later became Prime Minister. He responded by leaving the NUP and founding the
Vanuatu National Party in 2004. The latter's stated aim was to "revive" the "principles" espoused by Walter Lini. Specifically, the party emphasised "the need to develop rural employment opportunities, provide confidence to business and invest in primary industries". It suggested that important positions like the Chief Justice or Ombudsman be given to foreign nationals, while also promising to review the granting of citizenship to foreigners and -despite Thân himself being a businessman of Vietnamese origin - to "restrict Asian business" in the country. It also called for the development of "effective national telecommunications" throughout the nation.
Thân stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as leader of the VNP in the
July 2004 general election. His brother,
Dominique Đinh, a customary chief on the island of
Tanna, left the NUP at the same time as he did, and went on to found the
Chiefs' Movement of Vanuatu four years later. His sister,
Thitam Goiset, is also involved in customary politics, being reportedly the "president" of the
Nagriamel
Nagriamel (sometimes seen as Vemarana, Vemerana or the Nagriamel Customs Union or Nagriamel Movement) is a political party in Vanuatu.
History
The party was established in January 1966 at a meeting of chiefs in Espiritu Santo convened by Chief ...
movement before her appointment as Vanuatu's
ambassador to Russia in December 2011.
On 16 December 2000, the headline story of the ''
Vanuatu Weekly Hebdomadaire'' highlighted Thân's "growing generosity", as he planned to "invest about 500 million
vatu
The vatu ( abbreviation: VT;The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu.Current Banknotes and Coins in Circulation" Accessed 2 March 2013. ISO code: VUV) is the currency of Vanuatu. The vatu has no subdivisions.
Etymology
The term ''vatu'', used in all thr ...
" in creating a residential area in
Tagabe.
In the 2000s (decade), Thân was a member of Vanuatu's Citizenship Commission, tasked with granting or denying citizenship applications from immigrants. Thân accused the commission's Secretary, Képoué Manwo, of falsely informing the commission's president that certain applications, notably from Chinese businessmen, had been approved by the commission, when they had in fact been rejected.
In 2007, Vanuatu's department of forests accused Thân of "logging without a licence, not paying logging fees or forest management charges, breaking the code of logging practice, and causing high safety risks to workers, the public and the environment".
As of January 2011, Thân "owns over ten companies". He once owned
Doveair, a domestic airline company which was "closed following the disastrous Port Vila Land riots in 1988". The following year, riots also forced the closure of a meat factory he owned in
Port Vila
Port Vila (french: Port-Vila), or simply Vila (; french: Vila; bi, Vila ), is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. It is located on the island of Efate.
Its population in the last census (2009) was 44,040, an increase of 35% on the pr ...
.
In January 2011, it was reported Thân planned to launch a domestic airline,
Vanuatu Airways. It would provide cheaper fares on domestic flights than
Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and points in the South Pacific. Its main base is Bauerfiel ...
.
"Ni-Vanuatu businessman discusses plans to set up new airline"
, ABC Radio Australia, 27 January 2011
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Than, Dinh Van
Businesspeople of Vietnamese descent
Living people
Naturalised citizens of Vanuatu
Vanuatuan people of Vietnamese descent
Vanuatuan politicians
Vanuatuan businesspeople
Year of birth missing (living people)