 Fears are growing that Indonesia may suffer a bird flu epidemic |
As the number of Indonesian patients suspected of suffering from avian flu continues to rise, the local press warns the public not to panic and calls on the government to act fast to prevent an epidemic. In neighbouring Malaysia there is anxiety that the virus may cross the border. And an Australian commentary urges rich, developed countries to help poorer ones that are less prepared to resist the threat. Kompas  Don't panic. Form a cooperation forum to tackle bird flu. Make use of international cooperation. If bird flu develops into an epidemic, we will face a serious and complex problem. 
Commentary in Kompas We hope that the government will act immediately to take preventive measures and eradicate bird flu and avoid issuing various statements which may make society panic.
Republika Misinformation has caused society to panic and act unrealistically. Hysteria has emerged and spread everywhere. The tourism sector fears that foreign tourists will avoid visiting this country because the case will become an international issue.
Solo Pos Whether we admit it or not, the virus of bird flu is like a monster which can claim a human life any time. Therefore, the government must immediately contain the spread of bird flu which has made society restless.
Suara Karya The virus will certainly cause an economic disaster... The government has no choice but find the best solution soon. It should not only talk about the virus, but take action.
Commentary in Bali Post Is it true that we have succeeded in overcoming bird flu? The answer is clearly no.
Commentary in Malaysia's Sin Chew Jit Poh Apart from supervising imports, the Malaysian government must also guard against people unwittingly becoming the main spreaders of the disease. The government must give advice to people in border areas in particular, and ban the movement of all livestock which could carry the virus.
Malaysia's Nanyang Siang Pau The repeated emergence of the bird flu epidemic in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and so on is worrying for other member states like Malaysia. It is sometimes virtually impossible to guard against, and it can be spread by people travelling... The government must ensure proper safeguards and, besides taking samples and inspecting bred poultry at set times, it should also examine resting migratory birds which have flown here from other countries so as to guarantee that our country will not be infected.
Commentary in Australia's The Age A worrying gap is emerging between rich and poor countries over efforts to combat the emergence of a deadly avian flu pandemic. Wealthy states, such as Australia, are rapidly buying up the limited stocks of antivirals, investing in vaccines to inoculate their populations and strengthening their emergency response plans. For most developing countries, however, these measures are either unaffordable or unavailable in the short term... The first line of defence against this emerging threat, both morally and practically, should be in the developing countries of our region.
BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaus abroad.
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