Since November, heavy rains and floods have caused large-scale disasters in Southeast Asia, including central Vietnam, southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Sumatra, Indonesia. We are sure that many of our members have colleagues or friends who have been affected by the disasters. Our society shares the grief and suffering of those affected and prays for a speedy return to everyday life.
As a community of Southeast Asian studies, our society has previously organized forums to discuss and consider disaster management and post-disaster reconstruction in Southeast Asia. In the wake of this
recent large-scale disaster, we support various forms of assistance for those affected, and we will also explore together how to understand and act on the causes of disasters, such as climate change, and on
responses, including disaster prevention, from the perspectives of various experts. To this end, we will be organizing a regional meeting or research conference in the near future.
Details will be announced later, but we look forward to your participation.

On behalf of the 31st Board of Directors,
Kobayashi Satoru