Myanmar shares the concerns of the international community and is readyto provide humanitarian assistance to migrants travelling by boat, thecountry’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 19.

The statement also affirmed that Myanmar is making serious efforts toprevent illegal immigration and human trafficking across the country.

The country’s naval and air forces have regularlyconducted patrols within its territorial waters to stop illegaltrespassing and ensure the safety of migrants being transported by boat.

Myanmar has also pledged to expand all-roundcooperation with neighbours, following regional frameworks such as theBali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and RelatedTransnational Crime, the statement said.

Thestatement came after the United Nations warned that thousands ofmigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, including many women and children,were stranded off at sea after their target countries refused to letthem go ashore.

On May 19, fishermen fromIndonesia’s Aceh saved 374 refugees said to be from Myanmar, while 11Bangladeshis were assisted back home by authorities of Myanmar’s Rakhinestate.

Thousands of migrants, mostly Rohingyaethnics in Myanmar and Bangladesh, have tried to cross the sea toMalaysia and Indonesia in recent years. Meanwhile, Thailand is the firsttransitional point in the region’s human-trafficking network.-VNA