Brussels, 04/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - The 2006 Lorenzo Natali Grand Prize, awarded by the European Commission every year to an outstanding journalist for high quality articles on development, human rights and democracy, has been awarded to a Hong Kong journalist, Leu Siew Ying, for his article 'From Village Protest to National Flashpoint'. He tells the story of villagers from Guangzhou province in the south of China trying to get their leader recalled on suspicions of corruption. Leu Sieu Ying was selected by an independent jury of some 1,529 journalists in 165 countries and awarded the prize on 3 May, International Press Freedom Day, by EU Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel. Paying tribute to the courage of many journalists risking death or prison sentences for simply carrying out their work, the commissioner said that a free and responsible press following strong professional ethics is an indispensable part of democracy and the rule of law. 14 other journalists, selected by the same jury and all present at the prize-winning ceremony, also won prizes for their commitment to human rights and democracy. Tanya Farber (South Africa), Mauri Konig (Brazil), Michael Tierney (United Kingdom) and Talal El-Atrache (Lebanon) each received the first prize for the region they represent. The Natali Prize owes its name to the former EU development commissioner and fervent defender of human rights, Lorenzo Natali, who was vice president of the first Delors Commission. (an)