The reopening of the hostel in Laos where Melbourne teens Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles were fatally poisoned “makes Australia angry”, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says.
The best friends were among six people who died after consuming methanol-laced drinks at the hostel in late November last year.
Laos’ sluggish police investigation into their deaths has frustrated Australian authorities, who have offered the help of the Australian Federal Police.
Despite a lengthy probe and pressure from Australian authorities, no charges have been laid and the hostel in the backpacker hotspot Vang Vieng has been cleared to reopen.
The teens’ parents joined Senator Wong and Education Minister Jason Clare on Tuesday in launching a new safety push ahead of Schoolies season.
Speaking to media, they were asked how they felt about the hostel reopening.
“Angry,” Samantha Morton replied.
“Angry, really angry,” Michelle Jones also responded.
Ms Morton continued: “To try and make it seem like nothing happened. It’s not right. Yeah, it’s just not right.”
Asked about ideas to turn the hostel into a memorial for those that died, the mothers agreed it was “a nice idea”.
Senator Wong has been spearheading efforts to get action from Laos’ government, most recently meeting with the ambassador on Monday.
She said she was also angry.
“I agree with Sam and Michelle – it makes them angry,” she said.
“It makes Australia angry to hear that prospect.
“I raised that with the Lao ambassador.
“I made it clear to him that Australia’s view was that the hostel should not reopen.”
Senator Wong vowed there was no limit to how far she was willing to push to get answers from the Laotian government.
“I will continue to push,” she said.
“There’s no ceiling in terms of what I’m prepared to push.
“What I would say is, we’ve made clear to Laos this matters to Australia.
“It matters to the families, it matters to the community, and we want full accountability.
“We want transparency.”
Schoolies safety push
The government-backed on Tuesday launched next stage of the alcohol awareness campaign with DrinkWise.
Advertisements will be rolled out at all international airports and across social media.
Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne airports will also host promotional events in a bid to catch school leavers at the country’s busiest travel hubs before they fly.
“As we approach one year since the tragic deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, we are reminded of the dangers that can confront young people when travelling abroad,” Senator Wong said in a statement.
“We want every young Australian celebrating Schoolies, whether here at home or overseas, to have the tools to do so safely.”
Ms Jones and Ms Morton-Bowles’ families and friends have also recorded messages for videos for both school-leavers and parents.
Education Minister Jason Clare said students were right to “celebrate the end of school and the hard work it took to get here”, but implored them to look out for themselves and each other.
“You’ve earned it but you’ve also got to look out for yourself and your mates,” he said.
“We know the sense of freedom at the end of school can sometimes lead to risky choices, especially when alcohol is involved.”
Mr Clare urged graduates and parents alike to look over all the information, including Smartraveller’s Schoolies cheat sheets for key destinations.
“My department has shared these resources with our state and territory counterparts,” he said.
“I encourage schools, students and parents to take a look at them.
“We want the end of school to be remembered for the right reasons.”
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