The minister must have been informed of the summons and the issue that has become the center of the rights body`s attention, Komnas HAM commissioner Natalius Pigai said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh failed to meet a summons from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Wednesday to clarify the revision of government regulation number 74/2008 on teachers.

"We served a summons on him on Monday (Feb 4) to show up at 11.00 a.m. today. But we have received no confirmation from the Education and Culture Ministry about whether or not it would send any of its officials," Komnas HAM commissioner Natalius Pigai said.

The minister must have been informed of the summons and the issue that has become the center of the rights body`s attention, he said.

According to a media report, the minister stated that he had not received a summons from the Komnas HAM. This means that he must have been informed of the summons, he said.

"But I only have positive thoughts. It is likely the letter has not reached the ministry or the minister has not passed on it to the official concerned. Or it is likely the minister has been informed of the letter and is preparing argumentation to defend the revision of the government regulation on teachers," he said.

Natalius said ministers, heads of government institutions and even top military and police officers had so far shown up at the rights body`s office if summoned.

Therefore, he believed that the education and culture minister must have strong reasons for not fulfilling the summons right now.

Earlier, on Friday (Feb 1), three teacher organizations, the Federation of Indonesian Teachers Unions (FSGI), the Federation of Independent Indonesian Teachers (FGII) and the Association of Indonesian Teachers (IGI), came to the Komnas HAM office to protest against the revision of the government regulation.

They saw the revision as an effort to stifle teachers organizations critical of government policies in the education sector and force them to accept a single teachers organization.

Under article 44 sub-article (3) of the draft revision of the government regulation, a teachers organization must have members in all provinces and districts/municipalities representing at least 25 percent of the overall teachers.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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