March 12, 2008
BANGKOK - Hundreds of Thai Muslims rallied Wednesday outside the Danish embassy in Bangkok to condemn the publication of a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in Danish media last month.
Organisers said 1,000 people joined the protest calling on the Danish government to stop the printing of the cartoon, which was first published in 2005 and sparked violent protests across the Muslim world in early 2006.
A group of about 400 people burned a Danish flag and called for a boycott of goods from Denmark.
They broke up peacefully after two hours, police said.
"We denounce the Danish government for protecting cartoonists and artists and for failing to stop the printing of the cartoon by citing freedom of expression," Mureed Timasen, a member of the group Muslims for Peace, told AFP.
He vowed to stage new protests if Denmark allowed publications to print the cartoon again.
Last month, at least 17 Danish dailies reprinted the drawing featuring Prophet Mohammed's head with a turban designed to look like a bomb with a lit fuse.
However, Thai Muslims has not staged any demonstrations over the depiction until now.
