Australia 'not asked' to help asylum seekers

Attorney-General George Brandis says there no official request for help in rescuing thousands of Myanmar asylum seekers in the region.

Royal Malaysian Navy ships patrol along the Thai-Malaysia border looking for boats containing mostly Rohingya migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, near the coast of Langkawi island on May 14, 2015. (Photo credit should read MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images) Source: AFP

Australia has not been asked to help rescue thousands of asylum seekers from Myanmar abandoned at sea.

Attorney-General George Brandis told the Senate on Thursday there had been no official request for help to pick up an estimated 6000 asylum seekers abandoned by smugglers in seas between Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

He said Australia has provided $10.7 million in urgent humanitarian aid to Myanmar and Australian officials will attend a regional meeting on people smuggling in Thailand later this month.

Australia's ambassador for people smuggling issues Andrew Goledzinowski will attend the meeting.