The following is a selection of comments from the editorial pages of newspapers around Asia. The views expressed are those of the newspapers concerned.
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AUSTRALIA
The Sydney Morning Herald (www.smh.com.au) voices concern over future prospects for Middle East peace as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is fighting for his life after suffering a massive brain haemorrhage.
"The militants are already rejoicing at the blow to Israel's leadership which Mr Sharon's illness represents. Yet they are wrong to do so. The only lasting solution to the Palestinian issue will be a negotiated one. In Ariel Sharon, Israel has had a strong leader who has been a realist, a man capable of driving his own nationalist side towards the compromises necessary for a peace settlement to be reached. He leaves behind him an enormous gap. Even while Mr Sharon was in good health a Middle East peace settlement seemed a distant prospect. It looks even more distant now."
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HONG KONG
In Hong Kong, The South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com) supports moves on the Chinese mainland to stop land grabs by corrupt officials and developers that have triggered bloody clashes with protesting farmers.
"As the development value of farmland soars, local officials have become more reckless in crushing whatever opposition stands in the way of 'progress'. Where there is rampant corruption, officials have no qualms about employing gangster-style tactics to crush aggrieved farmers. According to official figures, there were 74,000 mass protests, involving 3.76 million people, across the nation in 2004, up from 10,000 a decade earlier. Social scientists say an increasing number of the protests were over pollution and the resumption of farmland ... As the urban sprawl continues, the worst-case scenario is that the extending fault line between town and country will become a battle line between land-deprived farmers and greedy developers backed by corrupt officials. Any suspicion of foul play, real or imagined, could ignite violent standoffs. Such confrontations will be unavoidable unless transparent procedures are strictly followed by local officials in settling disputes, and the people are confident that the authorities will address their grievances fairly."
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INDONESIA
The Jakarta Post (www.thejakartapost.com) looks at the recent deadly landslide disasters on Java island and urges the government to crack down on logging and protect forests to prevent more such disasters.
"What caused the floods is not clear, but witnesses have talked about collapsed hills, which could point to a possible link with deforestation. The government was quick to say deforestation played no part in the floods ... Whatever the truth is, it is no secret that Indonesia's forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. One indication of this is that disasters like the one on Sunday night have become increasingly common over the past few years ... The Environmental Impact Management Agency estimates that Indonesia is losing an area of forest the size of Switzerland every year. Another agency says a total of 2.8 million hectares of forests have been destroyed every year since 1997. That amounts to an area the size of more than 400 soccer fields per hour. The government says illegal logging costs it 3 billion US dollars a year in lost revenue. The tragedy in Jember once again brutally demonstrated that environmental protection must become a priority for the government."
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JAPAN
In Tokyo, The Yomiuri Shimbun (www.yomiuri.co.jp) calls for constitutional change, including amending the war-renouncing Article 9 of the post-World War II national charter to allow Japan to adapt to modern security challenges.
"Changes in the regional situation and the international security environment make it urgent for war-renouncing Article 9 to be drastically reviewed. As Foreign Minister Taro Aso has pointed out, China's growing military strength is becoming a threat to regional security. North Korea's nuclear and missile development also poses a grave menace to the safety of Japan. We should not waste any more time in establishing a system to ensure national security. For Japan, a trading country, the peace and stability of the international community is vital. Japan's responsibility to maintain this in cooperation with its ally the United States, will be heavier than ever. While keeping the principle of pacifism, the times require that the Self-Defense Forces be designated in the Constitution as an 'army for self-defense,' and its role in international peacekeeping also should be spelled out."
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THAILAND
In Bangkok, The Nation (www.nationmultimedia.com) says Premier Hun Sen is seeking to "break the backbone of Cambodias burgeoning civil society movement" with the series of arrests of human rights workers and political opponents.
"It has become an established pattern in Cambodia. When things dont go Prime Minister Hun Sens way, swift, brute force is applied and arrest warrants are issued in order to silence his critics and political enemies. This has been happening a lot lately, to no ones real surprise. The status of democracy and human rights in Cambodia has gone from bad to worse under the one-party rule of the prime ministers Cambodian Peoples Party -- which might be better called the one-man rule of Hun Sen ... It is extremely sad that Hun Sen is following the path of Zimbabwes Prime Minister Robert Mugabe in silencing everyone."
