THE United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Port Moresby is looking into an appeal by three Myanmars to be granted asylum in Australia.
The trio illegally crossed into Papua New Guinea from Indonesian Papua by boat in April after years living on the edge in Thailand and Malaysia.
Kyaw Tun Aung, 26, Mau Soe Naing, 31, and Myo Nyunt, 43, were detained at the Vanimo police station in Sandaun province before being released into the care of a local businessman.
UNHCR representative Wallaya Pura said the men had also sought asylum with the Papua New Guinea Government so their desire to be settled in a third country such as Australia would only be considered if PNG did not accept them.
The three men said they would prefer to be accepted by Australia or another developed country like Canada where they could work and have more chance of helping their families back in Myanmar.
Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer has said Australia should be a haven for Myanmar asylum-seekers following the recent crackdown on protesters against the military regime.
Lack of work and prospects in Malaysia prompted the trio to cross by open boat to the Indonesian capital Jakarta where they boarded a flight to Papua province and then crossed to Papua New Guinea.
Naing said he and his two friends would be jailed if they returned to Myanmar.