Ellington

A bipartisan group of 23 U.S. lawmakers is urging the Obama administration to prevent Southeast Asian seas from becoming a "graveyard" for thousands of Rohingya boat people.

The lawmakers made the appeal in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry late Wednesday, ahead of discussions on the crisis between Myanmar's government and the No. 2 ranking U.S. diplomat, Anthony Blinken, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's capital.

The members of the House of Representatives said the United States should provide support in search and rescue and humanitarian assistance for migrants in imminent danger in the Andaman Sea after fleeing "systematic repression" in Myanmar.

The U.S. should also work with Southeast Asian nations and address the "root cause" of the crisis, it says. The letter is strongly critical of President Thein Sein's government for pursuing "hate-filled" legislation against minorities in Myanmar. It recommends targeted U.S. sanctions against those who incite violence against the Rohingya if the situation continues to deteriorate.

The top-ranking Republican and Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are among the signatories of the letter, which was provided Thursday to The Associated Press. Lawmakers provide oversight, but don't set U.S. foreign policy.