Farouk Arnaz – The National Police announced on Tuesday that they will set up a new unit to deal with riots and violent clashes.

The announcement comes in response to recent bloody attacks on members of the Ahmadiyah sect in Cikeusik, Banten, and anti-Christian violence in Temanggung, Central Java.

"After [clashes in] Cikeusik and Temmanggung, we have come up with the breakthrough to establish a new antianarchy detachment. I think it is a solution in addressing the problem [of riots]," National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo told reporters on Tuesday.

Timur said there would be changes to the culture and collective mind-set of the police. He said the role of a police officer was to protect people.

The concept of an anti-anarchy unit is still being discussed by the National Police's education institutions, Timur said. "This new unit will be established at all provincial police branches," he said.

National Police spokesman Chief Comr. Boy Raffly Amar said that the new unit would be instructed to implement police regulation number 1/X/2010, which allows police officers to use live bullets if protestors become uncooperative or start attacking officers.

Under the regulation, officers are only allowed to shoot to immobilize, not to kill.

Boy said the establishment of a new deployment did not meant that current police units could not deal with riots, but rather that the problem of rioters was getting bigger.

"The problem is becoming more complicated. We already have [the Mobile Brigade] to deal with rioters, but this new detachment would be a specified unit."

The new unit will consist of police from the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob), police reserves (Sampata) and riot squads.