Dear colleagues!
With this mail I wish to inform you that I will stop my work for the LWL-Landesmuseum fuer Archaeologie, the colloquium, planned for end of this month, and any further work for the planned exhibition project on “Vietnam Archaeology”.
In January and February of 2010, during my talks with the LWL-Landesmuseum fuer Archaeologie a monthly salary was agreed upon. Under these circumstances I admitted to stay in Vietnam and work for the LWL-Landesmuseum fuer Archaeologie.
My hotel costs in 2010 and other expenditures are not paid yet. Instead, I had to send a final invoice with which I refuse all further refunding for my first working contract.
In September 2011 I was called to visit Ha Noi. I did not. At this point I had not get any salary or refunding of expenditures for six months! I had no working contract and not any clue who or what institution was financing this, so I refused to go to Ha Noi. The old contract was finished. However, two travels to Ha Noi were not covered by this contract. It was, I have to admit that, my biggest mistake that I pay my expenditures in advance.
From 01.03.2011 to now I have no new contract – one draft was sent to me last week – an impudence I cannot tolerate further. Either the museum thinks me totally stupid or mentally deranged, or is quite incompetent.
I will not work in advance further. I have been a doctoral candidate and personally financed this project. The new contract not even mentions my participance further. In September 2011 I was told by Dr. Joseph Muehlenbrock that I shall focus my work on the exhibition project. Now, in February 2012, the LWL-Landesmuseum fuer Archaeologie wishes me focussing on the colloquium. Changes are often in my work. However, I will not further tolerate that I am assumed as a denier of work. Since my start of work important papers have not been sent, information was not given or any further help which would have developed the project in an natural way was provided. Instead, I have to hear about my working morality, my absence of meetings which were never been defined in any contract or further nonsense.
I am paying an international project between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam out of my income as an English teacher, with the small amount of money of my hard working parents and the small incomes of my Vietnamese friends. The LWL in Germany should be ashamed sending someone to Vietnam without any further support. If in 2011 there is no need for my expertise, why I have not been recalled home to Germany? It is cheaper for the museum to let me stay here in advance for further jobs which seem quite well.
My asks for help last year were not heard. I have decided now to go public. I will not tolerate this behaviour to my person further. I do not have money for food since start of Tet, I do not know how to pay my monthly expenditures. I was told to move to Ha Noi due to 14.10.2011. If I would have done this, would now in deep financial problems, since this time I did not have any income further.
I really thank you, LWL-Landesmuseum fuer Archaeologie in Herne. I want my salary! NOW! And any further cooperation and working for the colloquium and the exhibition project I thankfully deny! Working for the LWL-Landesmuseum fuer Archaeologie in Herne and the LWL – Landschaftsverband Westfalen/Lippe costs me too much!
Sincerely,Karsten Brabaender
