The following is a brief roundup of selected local newspaper editorials Monday: China Times: Taiwan and Tuvalu face the same relocation question Taiwan's South Pacific ally Tuvalu has donated US$210,000 -- 1 percent of its gross domestic product -- to Taiwan for its Typhoon Morakot relief operation. However, few local residents are aware that Tuvalu is troubled by a similar question of relocation of its people as Taiwan because of the threat of inundation by rising sea levels caused by global warming. Taiwan's problem is caused by its people's excessive development of mountain areas that has led to prevalent mudslides and the excessive drawing of underground water that has prompted subsidence of some of the island's coastal areas. With all our sympathy for flood victims, we still have to point out that if these people do not alter their methods, the tragedy of flooding is doomed to repeat itself when the next typhoon hits the island. We feel pity that a bill enacted by the Legislative Yuan for the reconstruction of the disaster areas last week waives the requirement for environmental impact assessments before new land development. It lays the groundwork for the next disaster. Yes, we need reconstruction as soon as possible, but should not we pause a while and review our policy of pursuing economic development at the cost of the environment? Apple Daily: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama canceled a planned news conference upon his arrival in Taiwan to spare the host country the problem of irritating China. The Foreign Ministry permitted him to enter the country without a visa, while the Democratic Progressive Party, which extended the invitation for him to visit, has refrained from milking his trip for political mileage. It is the best scenario and one that would create room for greater confidence between Taipei and Beijing in their dealings with each other. However, a group of people under the direction of the ruling Kuomintang, which does not see eye to eye with the DPP on inviting the Dalai Lama to Taiwan, claimed that his visit is not necessary because Taiwan has many leaders of various religions who can pray for the victims of Typhoon Morakot. But those who make that argument do not understand that the Dalai Lama's visit shows that Taiwan is a democracy rather than a puppet of China, as it can accommodate people of different opinions, and that the blessings of whatever god and in whatever quantity are always welcome here. United Daily News: Help homeless flood victims As the legislature rushed last week to enact a bill that would expedite reconstruction in the aftermath of the Typhoon Morakot disaster, some protestors outside the legislature denounced the clauses in the bill that would give the government the power to relocate aboriginal communities in mudslide-prone areas. In Taiwan, there are only a few cases of successful relocation of such communities. Experience shows that it takes three to 10 years to relocate such communities, and that the most difficult tasks are to obtain suitable sites and reconcile the different opinions among the people to be resettled. We urge the authorities to be patient in its attempts to persuade the members of the communities to relocate. We also call for the participation of private charities, not only because their caring input is necessary to the process, but also because elected officials are usually not in office long enough to see the relocation through to the end. Liberty Times: Some politicians defame the Dalai Lama by distorting his religious visit The Dalai Lama is regarded worldwide as prestigious religious leader, but is condemned by China as a separatist. How can a person who bears no arms and has no access to armed forces be considered a thorn in the side of a regime with nuclear weapons? It is because of the Dalai Lama's charisma and mettle and the worldwide backlash against an oppressive Chinese regime. President Ma was in no position to reject the Dalai Lama's visit because of public anger against his administration's botched relief operations in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, but China is not reconciled to Ma's decision. Therefore, there are some politicians who are fronting for Ma and toadying to China. Those politicians who denounce the Dalai Lama's visit as part of a political scheme have exposed their own intentions to strike discord between the Tibetan spiritual leader and local religious leaders. If Taiwan had rejected the Dalai Lama's visit, it would have undermined its claims to democracy and relegated itself to the status of a colony of China. 