Farouk Arnaz – The future of the National Police's proposed antianarchy unit appeared less clear after police told lawmakers on Thursday that the highly criticized new unit would utilize existing police structures.

"The antianarchy detachment is not new, actually," Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, the National Police's chief of detectives, said in a hearing with legislators at the House of Representatives Commission Vlll on Thursday. "It already exists in the Mobile Brigade structure and its costs are already covered by our current budget."

When asked when the existing unit was established, however, Ito could not provide a clear answer. "I think it was for a regional election that had the potential to trigger riots," he said without specifying the case.

National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo unveiled the plan to set up a new antianarchy detachment on Monday, calling it a "breakthrough solution" to religious violence.

"I think this is a solution to address the problem of violence," Timur said on Monday, promising to divulge more details on the new squad sometime next week.

However, Ito said on Thursday that the new unit would only be an "optimization" of the Mobile Brigade force (Brimob). "We want to optimize our effort to protect our peoples, public facilities and human lives," he said.

Under a 2010 regulation, police are permitted to use live ammunition to immobilize protesters during riots or violent clashes. Members of the antianarchy unit will be equipped with rubber bullets and a limited amount of live ammunition.

National Police spokesman Chief. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar reiterated that the antianarchy unit would not be a new structure. "It is more like improving the quality of a unit which already existed," he said. "The personnel will be derived from the Mobile Brigade or the Sabhara [patrol] unit."

Brimob spokesman Adj. Chief Comr. Budiman said "antianarchy" was only name. Zainun Akmati, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator, expressed concern the unit would act excessively because the name was too "aggressive." "Why don't just use the existing Mobile Brigade team?" he said. "Why do they need to change their name?"