Urgent Call for Justice: Penny Wong Demands Accountability in Australian Methanol Poisoning Tragedy

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Foreign Minister Penny Wong says she shares the anger of Australian parents whose teenagers died from methanol poisoning in Laos, and has urged that the hostel where the women were poisoned remain shut.

Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, both from Melbourne, were among six people who died last November after drinking methanol-laced cocktails in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

Standing beside their mothers, Michelle Jones and Samantha Morton, as they launched an awareness campaign aimed at keeping other teenagers heading overseas safe, Wong said she would continue to push for accountability over their deaths.

Wong said the investigation “so far has not been good enough”, with over 50 representations made to the Laos government.

“What I would say is we’ve made clear to Laos, this matters to Australia,” Wong told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.

“It matters to the families, it matters to the community. And we want full accountability, we want transparency, and we’ll continue to make that clear.”

Wong said that she’d pressed the Laos ambassador as recently as Monday about the lack of progress in the investigation, as well as reports that the Nana Backpackers Hostel might reopen.

“I emphasized to him that Australia firmly believes the hostel should remain closed,” she stated clearly.

Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones tragically lost their lives to methanol poisoning after consuming tainted alcohol at a backpacker hostel in Laos. The incident occurred at the accommodation where they were staying.

Reports from ABC indicate that despite the hostel being shut down following the tragic event, there are signs of renovation work underway, and the establishment’s signage has been taken down.

SBS News has reached out to the Laos embassy in Australia for their input on the situation.

Returning to the Melbourne airport where they waved their daughters goodbye, the two mothers launched a video education campaign aimed at stopping other young Australians from being poisoned overseas.

“Parents should have the conversation to sit them down before they go away … and be aware of the dangers,” Michelle Jones said on Tuesday.

“All of this information is amazing — our girls didn’t have it. We didn’t know anything about methanol, so to have this go out to schoolies before they leave, they will come home safely.”

Schoolies refers to the end of high school celebrations in November and December, with some teenagers opting to head overseas instead of local party destinations.

Two women stand at a lectern, with several television microphones, looking upset.

Bianca Jones’ and Holly Morton-Bowles’ families are angry the hostel where they died could reopen. Source: AAP / Allanah Sciberras

New data from DrinkWise, a not-for-profit that promotes responsible drinking, suggests that two in three parents have discussed methanol poisoning with their child as part of their planning for schoolies.

Only 18 per cent of those attending schoolies overseas are concerned about the dangers.

As some Year 12 students finish their tertiary education this week, the videos reminding them to celebrate safely will be launched across social media, busy airport hubs, as well as school environments.

Education Minister Jason Clare said he wanted teenagers to celebrate but “come home safe”.

“I see a really important role here for our schools in helping to make sure that we get this message across to young people as they finish their exams,” he said.

“As they head to the airport and they think about all the fun that they’re about to have, to make sure that they read this information, and they come back to the people that they love, safe and sound.”

With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.