Methanol victims parents call for boycott
The parents of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, the two Melbourne teenagers who died of methanol poisoning in Laos, have urged Australians to boycott the country, after the government refused to meet with them three months after the tragedy.
The two 19-year-olds were on a trip of a lifetime in Vang Vieng last November when they fell ill after consuming drinks that contained methanol at the Nana Backpacker Hostel.
Bianca's parents, Mark and Michelle Jones, have told ABC on Monday that they still have not received any updates from the Laos government.
“I mean, our girls were murdered and nothing’s getting done. And that’s really hard,” they said.
“What are they hiding? That’s what I’m thinking, that’s what we’re all thinking. Someone’s got to be accountable for it.”
Holly's mum has also urged Australian's against travelling to the country, saying: “Don’t go. Don’t go. It’s just not safe for travellers, it just isn’t, and we’ve seen that first hand."
Mr Bowles added, if Laos wants “people to come to your country, make it safe. Make it a safe place”.
The parents of Anne-Sofie Orkild, who also passed away after consuming the drink, agreed that a boycott of Laos is their only hope for answers.
“It’s a lot of leverage, it’s a lot of money,” they said.
“Our recommendation is not to go to Laos, it will hurt them.”
Though the hostel remains closed, the staff members who were arrested after the tragedy have since been released from custody and are believed to be under house arrest, according to the ABC.
“We were led to believe they had 12 people in custody, they’ve all been released,” Mr Jones said.
“It’s incredibly concerning, it seems to reek of a cover-up.
“I can’t imagine that from the distilling process through to handing out drinks, there’s not one Lao national who was involved in the chain – so something seems incredibly off.”
Since the tragedy, the Australian government has backed the families' call for a transparent and thorough investigation, with Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong telling Sunrise last month: “I completely understand the anguish of the families who haven’t heard from the Laotian government for the last couple of months.
“We will continue to press the Laotian government.”
Image: 60 Minutes/ 7News