Former Alliance Party president and South Belfast MLA Anna Lo has been remembered as a “ground-breaker” and “trail blazer”.
Alliance leader Naomi Long has led the tributes to her former colleague, who died on Wednesday, aged 74.
Born in Hong Kong in 1950, Ms Lo was the first ethnic-minority politician elected to the Stormont assembly.
A decade ago, she became the first senior Alliance representative to first voice support for Irish unity.
Ms Lo, who is survived by her sons Conall and Owen, two grandchildren and her partner Robert, was first elected as an MLA in 2007 and served for a further nine years.
In 2011, she was appointed chair of the assembly’s environment committee.
In 2014, she stood as Alliance’s candidate in the European election, achieving the party’s best result up to that point, with a 7.1% first preference vote share.
During the campaign, in an interview with The Irish News, she revealed that she was a supporter of Irish unity and described herself as “anti-colonial”.
The Alliance MLA said a united Ireland would be “better placed economically, socially and politically”.
Her remarks attracted criticism from unionists, with future DUP leader Arlene Foster calling on Ms Lo to apologise for her “deeply insulting language”.
“It is not entirely surprising to hear such clear Irish, nationalist aspirations coming from within the Alliance Party,” the future first minister said.
Ms Lo was vilified by loyalists for the comments and blamed the abuse, much of it via social media, for her decision not to seek re-election in 2016.
Larne man David John Wylie received a suspended sentence in 2015 after he posted a photo on Facebook of himself posing with a rifle along with a threat to the Alliance MLA, which said “you are next”.
Ms Lo moved to Belfast in 1974, working initially for the BBC and RUC as an interpreter.
A social worker by profession, and a former chair of the Northern Ireland Chinese Welfare Association, she was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to ethnic minorities.
Since 2007 Ms Lo suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had to maintain a vegetarian diet to combat the illness.
At the time of her death she lived in Holywood, Co Down.
Mrs Long said her former party colleague would “forever be remembered as a ground-breaker in local politics”.
“She brought a wealth of experience, insight and intelligence to politics from her previous roles in social work, broadcasting, community development and advocacy,” the Alliance leader said.
“Her dedication and passion for serving her constituents were later rewarded when she was re-elected with an increased mandate. She had a number of causes close to her heart, including protection of the environment and human rights, and was a strong voice on women’s rights and equality.”
The East Belfast MLA said Ms Lo faced “appalling racism” but was “brave in facing down her abusers”.
“Her friends and colleagues loved her greatly, and were a source of great support for her in those trying times,” she said.
“On a personal level, Anna was a great friend and encourager. She was also someone I admired enormously, long before she was involved in party politics. Her service to the Chinese community, to good relations and to the city of Belfast, much of which went unseen by most, was transformational.”
In a statement, Ms Lo’s sons Owen and Conall Watson said: “We are incredibly proud of Anna and what she achieved throughout her life and career. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, partner and friend, whose energy, joy and integrity inspired those she met.
“Anna stood for and fought for equality, for women’s rights, against discrimination including racism, and for a political system to serve the needs of people rather than reinforce historic divisions.”
Former Alliance leader David Ford said he first met Ms Lo when she worked as a social worker, where he said she was known “for the exemplary care she gave all her clients”.
“On a professional level, she gave Alliance a massive boost when she made the party’s first assembly gain, in South Belfast in 2007,” he said.
“I was also pleased to have her chair the environment committee at the assembly, where she expertly held the department and minister to account.”
Alliance MLA Kate Nicholl said: “Anna taught me the value of hard work, of sticking to your values and how politics done with kindness and empathy goes so much further than bitterly fixating on difference or the past.
“She knew what it was like to be denied opportunities and to feel like an outsider, so she built a career founded on inclusivity - as a PSNI interpreter, a social worker, chief executive of the Chinese Welfare Association and later as Alliance MLA for South Belfast.”
