The outcome of an investigation into the death of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles has sparked widespread outrage. The Australian teens were among six foreign nations who died after drinking shots contaminated with methanol while backpacking in Laos almost two years ago. Although the owner of a distillery has now been charged, authorities in Laos are being accused of failing to ensure justice is done.
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TRANSCRIPT:
The families of two Australian teenagers who died after drinking tainted alcohol while backpacking in Laos have expressed anger over the perceived leniency of charges that have now been laid against a distillery owner.
Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles died in 2024 along with four other tourists - from Denmark, the US and the UK - who also drank tainted shots at the Vang Vieng Nana Backpackers Hostel.
The outcome of an investigation into their deaths has prompted significant criticism, including from Health Minister Mark Butler.
"When parents wave their young adult children off for that rite of passage at the airport, as so many have done over so many years, we expect them to be able to come home safely, and we expect if there's a misadventure and a tragedy like this that someone will be held accountable. And we expect from the Lao authorities better than this."
The Australian government has not officially outlined its understanding of the charges that have been laid against the owner of a distillery that supplied the vodka.
Laotian authorities held a press conference on Friday, which was reportedly attended by foreign officials, including from Australia.
It has been widely reported that a number of international media outlets were blocked, creating confusion about what charges were laid, and why.
Denmark's foreign ministry has said the distillery owner is facing between three months and four years in prison and a fine.
The charges are said to relate to selling food that is harmful to health and operating an illegal business.
Holly Morton-Bowles' father, Shaun Bowles, has expressed his disappointment to Channel 9.
"We were hoping that there was a charge of Article 183, which would hold a greater custodial sentence - potentially 10 years. And that was for breaching food and safety regulations. But that charge isn't forthcoming. That is one of the biggest disappointments for us about this."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has issued a statement saying Australia is "deeply frustrated" and "bitterly disappointed".
Australia has also updated its travel advice, advising citizens to exercise a high degree of caution in Laos, citing crime, the risk of methanol poisoning, and a lack of transparency in the justice system.
On Friday [[180726]], Shaun Bowles urged people to reconsider travelling to the country.
"And I think from seeing this, what's happened here over the last few days, a lot of people will definitely think twice about going to Laos and as they should, because they've demonstrated, the way that they act, and as I say, the value that they put on tourists' lives over there and the way they've tried to cover this up. So, that's the bit that really astonishes us.”
The Australian government says it has consistently made representations to Laos, through the prime minister, foreign minister, and a specially-appointed envoy, diplomat Pablo Kang.
Health Minister Mark Butler says the government has dispatched Mr Kang to Laos and called in the country's ambassador to Australia in recent days.
He's also raised the issue of foreign aid, which he says is important for lifting living standards in the developing country.
"But also to lift standards around governance and transparency and accountability. For example, some of the foreign aid to Laos right now is spent on initiatives to prevent methanol poisonings of the type that took these two young Australian women at such a young age. So you know, this is this is a program across our region that's intended to lift standards of accountability and governance and transparency in the way that was found wanting has been found wanting in this case."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong will travel to Manila for an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting next week.
She says she will put Australia's view directly to her counterpart there.
