Jakarta – Education Minister Mohammad Nuh failed to answer a National Commission on Human Rights' (Komnas HAM) summons on Wednesday to clarify a controversial government draft regulation on the teachers unions.

A draft revision to the regulation stipulates that a teachers union must have 25 percent of teachers in each regency and mayoralty as members and representatives in 75 percent of provinces, regencies and mayoralties nationwide.

Critics argue that the regulation makes it practically impossible for teachers to exercise their right to form a union.

In a meeting at the commission's office, Forum of Indonesian Teachers Unions (FSGI) secretary-general Retno Listiyati said the regulation would inevitably lead to a human rights violation. She said she was disappointed by Nuh's absence.

The commission will again ask the minister to attend on Feb. 18 or 19. "We are thinking positive. He may have yet to receive the summons," Komnas HAM commissioner Natalius Pigai said.