SYDNEY: Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Laos to conduct a transparent investigation into the methanol poisoning deaths of two Australian tourists, during a Tuesday (July 21) meeting with her counterpart held in Manila.
The Australians, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, as well as two Danish citizens, an American and a Briton died following a night out on the town in Vang Vieng, Laos in November 2024.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that can be added to liquor to increase its potency but can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
Laos authorities said on Saturday they could not determine blame or the cause of the deaths of the six tourists, but had begun legal proceedings against the owner of the Tiger distillery for "manufacturing or selling products hazardous to health" and "illegal commercial operation".
The pace of the investigation has long been a source of contention between Canberra and Vientiane.
Wong met Laos Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane in Manila on the sidelines of a regional forum on Tuesday to express Australia's disappointment more serious charges were not laid.
"I made clear that Australia expects the Lao Government to ensure this investigation fully reflects the seriousness of this tragedy and that those responsible are held properly to account," she said in a statement. - AFP
