PNG PM urges intervention in Rohingyan crisis

7:35 pm on 25 May 2015

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister is calling on Australia to do more about a humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, warning that developing nations like his cannot resettle refugees indefinitely.

Peter O'Neill's comments come in the wake of an operation to find thousands of asylum seekers, mainly Rohingyans from Myanmar and Bangladeshis, who are stranded on boats on the seas of Asia.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, Mr O'Neill says Australia and other regional countries need to do more to solve migration problems and hold Myanmar's leadership to account over its treatment of Rohingyans.

He also called on Australia to increase it's refugee intake, saying PNG was a developing country with limited resources, and would not be able to resettle many more.

PNG is home to Australia's Manus Island detention centre, where asylum seekers intercepted en route to Australia are detained and offered resettlement in PNG if they are found to be refugees.