The heartbroken parents of two young Australian women who died in Laos last year are calling on fellow Australians to cross the Southeast Asian country off their travel lists, condemning the nation’s “corrupt” government and demanding justice for their daughters’ senseless deaths.
Nineteen-year-olds **Holly Morton-Bowles** and **Bianca Jones**, best friends from Melbourne, were on what was supposed to be a carefree backpacking adventure through the tourist hotspot of **Vang Vieng** when tragedy struck. The two girls, along with four other travelers, were poisoned after unknowingly consuming **methanol**, a highly toxic chemical often found in cheap, bootleg liquor. The poison, which has no color or odor, can be deadly in even the smallest doses.
Nearly a year later, their families say the **Laotian government has done nothing** to investigate how the poison found its way into drinks served to tourists — and they’re urging Australians to avoid the country altogether.
“We recognize how corrupt and unhelpful the Laos Government is,” said **Samantha Morton** and **Shaun Bowles**, Holly’s parents, in an interview with the *Herald Sun*. “There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on. Our hope is that Australians remove this country from their bucket list. Your life is worth nothing over there, and we’ve seen this firsthand.”
Their comments echo the frustrations of **Mark and Michelle Jones**, Bianca’s parents, who said that “to date, no individual or organization has been held accountable.” The grieving parents fear that “the deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside, and left unresolved.”
Australian officials, including **Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan**, have acknowledged the parents’ anger. “Their frustration is very real,” she said, citing the lack of progress and transparency from Laotian authorities.
Meanwhile, Laos’ ambassador to Australia, **Chatoulong Bouasisavath**, has not responded to repeated requests for comment — a silence that only deepens the families’ grief.
Earlier this year, during an emotional interview with *60 Minutes*, both families revealed that the **Laotian government has refused to even meet with them**, despite their repeated pleas for answers. “We’ve heard nothing,” Mark Jones said. “I cannot have my daughter’s passing not mean anything.”
The families’ pain has touched hearts across Australia. Thousands mourned the girls at memorials held in Melbourne last November, with even Prime Minister **Anthony Albanese** offering condolences. At **Mentone Girls’ Grammar**, Bianca’s former school, classmates gathered to remember her bright spirit, while Holly’s friends held a moving farewell at **Beaumaris Secondary College** days later.
To honor their daughters’ memory, the families launched a **crowdfunding campaign** to help cover the financial fallout from the tragedy and to fund awareness programs about methanol poisoning — a danger that remains prevalent in developing countries where unregulated alcohol is common.
But for all their efforts, the families remain stonewalled by Laos. *60 Minutes* reporter **Tara Brown** revealed that the network’s own attempts to investigate were blocked. “We were denied access to the country because they claimed the case is still being worked on,” Brown said. “More significantly, and cruelly, no Lao officials will meet with the devastated families — not even in private.”
In a letter last November, the Laotian government expressed its “profound sadness” and promised to “bring the perpetrators to justice.” Yet, nearly a year later, there’s been **no progress**, no accountability, and no sign of compassion from a government that appears more interested in shielding itself than seeking the truth.
For Holly and Bianca’s families, the message is clear — Laos is a beautiful country hiding a dark, dangerous underbelly where tourists’ lives mean little and justice means nothing.
As Mark Jones put it bluntly, “We can’t bring our daughters back, but we can make sure no other family goes through this.”
