Tributes paid to former Alliance Party MLA Anna Lo after her death at 74

Tributes person been paid to Anna Lo, the archetypal person from an taste number inheritance elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, aft her decease astatine the property of 74.

Alliance Party person Naomi Long described Ms Lo, who was primitively from Hong Kong, arsenic a “ground breaker”.

Ms Long noted that her party’s erstwhile South Belfast Assembly subordinate was the archetypal person of Chinese ethnicity elected to immoderate legislative assemblage successful occidental Europe.

She died connected Wednesday successful infirmary successful Belfast with household astir her pursuing complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Ms Long extended condolences to her spouse Robert, sons Conall and Owen and her grandchildren and wider family.

“Anna volition everlastingly beryllium remembered arsenic a ground-breaker successful section politics,” she said.

“However, she brought a wealthiness of experience, penetration and quality to authorities from her erstwhile roles successful societal work, broadcasting, assemblage improvement and advocacy.

“Her dedication and passionateness for serving her constituents were aboriginal rewarded erstwhile she was re-elected with an accrued mandate.

“She had a fig of causes adjacent to her heart, including extortion of the situation and quality rights, and was a beardown dependable connected women’s rights and equality.

“Despite facing appalling racism from immoderate quarters, she was brave successful facing down her abusers. Her friends and colleagues loved her greatly, and were a root of large enactment for her successful those trying times.

“On a idiosyncratic level, Anna was a large person and encourager. She was besides idiosyncratic I admired enormously, agelong earlier she was progressive successful enactment politics.

“Her work to the Chinese community, to bully relations and to the metropolis of Belfast, overmuch of which went unseen by most, was transformational.

“I americium truthful bittersweet to larn of her passing and volition miss her warmth, her humour, her kindness and her courageousness arsenic volition everyone successful Alliance. Anna’s bequest volition unrecorded connected and my thoughts are with her household astatine this bittersweet time.”

Former Alliance person David Ford besides added his sympathies.

“I archetypal met Anna successful her erstwhile vocation arsenic a societal worker, wherever she was known for the exemplary attraction she gave each her clients,” helium said.

“On a nonrecreational level, she gave Alliance a monolithic boost erstwhile she made the party’s archetypal Assembly gain, successful South Belfast successful 2007. I was besides pleased to person her seat the Environment Committee astatine the Assembly, wherever she expertly held the Department and Minister to account.

“I americium bittersweet to perceive the quality of her passing but her bequest arsenic a trailblazer successful Northern Ireland authorities volition unrecorded on.”

In a statement, her sons Owen and Conall Watson said they were “incredibly proud” of each their parent achieved successful her beingness and career.

“She was a fantastic mother, grandmother, spouse and friend, whose energy, joyousness and integrity inspired those she met,” they said.

“Anna stood for and fought for equality, for women’s rights, against favoritism including racism, and for a governmental strategy to service the needs of radical alternatively than reenforce historical divisions.

“Since arriving from Hong Kong successful the 1970s, she served the assemblage of Northern Ireland. She worked archetypal arsenic a translator and societal idiosyncratic earlier taking connected much nationalist roles, including astatine the Chinese Welfare Association, the Assembly and arsenic a founding commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.”

They added: “From her infirmary bed, Anna continued to champion the issues that she had dedicated her beingness to. We are incredibly grateful to each the NHS unit who provided Anna with excellent, compassionate care.

“A passionate artist, environmentalist and hillwalker, she helped radical enactment successful culture, creation and education. She was a trustee and unpaid of arts charities, and arranged exhibitions of Chinese art. Family summers were often spent successful the Mourne Mountains. In caller years, she recovered large joyousness spending clip with her grandchildren and travelling the world.”