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Anna Lo, the first ethnic-minority politician elected to Stormont and the first Chinese-born person to be elected to a legislative parliament in western Europe, has died at the age of 74. The former Alliance Party assembly member was described as “ground-breaking” and “trailblazing.” Alliance leader Naomi Long praised her “dedication and passion for serving her constituents” in Belfast, and penned that Lo had been brave in confronting the “appalling racism” she encountered during her political career.
Born in Hong Kong, Lo moved to Northern Ireland in 1974. Initially, she worked as a translator and as a BBC secretary, before attending Ulster University where she qualified to begin work as a social worker. Later, she became the director of the Chinese Welfare Association in Belfast and one of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland’s founding commissioners.
Lo was first elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007, representing South Belfast for the Alliance Party. She was re-elected five years later and served until retiring in 2016. Her sons described her as a “campaigner for equality and social justice in Northern Ireland.” Her family noted that she died in Belfast City Hospital on Wednesday, following complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In a party statement, the Alliance leader said: “Anna will forever be remembered as a ground-breaker in local politics.” She added: “Her service to the Chinese community, to good relations and to the city of Belfast, much of which went unseen by most, was transformational.” Former Alliance leader David Ford also expressed his condolences and described Ms Lo as a “trailblazer in Northern Ireland politics.”
Lo served on several assembly scrutiny committees, including as chair of the environment committee. In 2014, she stated that she would not be seeking re-election, explaining that continual racist abuse influenced her decision. She made headlines earlier that year after declaring her preference for a united Ireland at a time when she was an Alliance election candidate for the European Parliament. She is survived by her sons Conall and Owen, two grandchildren, and partner Robert
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