Thai Sunni Muslims protest outside US embassy

Hundreds of Thai Sunni Muslims protested outsidethe US embassy Thursday against a film considered insulting to theMuslim prophet Mohammed, after a similar protest by the Shiacommunity more than a week ago.

About 250 Sunnis from the Muslim Group for Peace waved placards outside the embassy reading "Protect our Beloved Prophet," and "Peacebe Upon Him." They then moved on to the Thailand office of Google Incto demand it withdraw the controversial film Innocence of Muslimsfrom its Youtube service.

"We have to keep the pressure on the US government to arrest thepeople who made this film, and get it removed from YouTube and Google," said Abdul Asis, a spokesman for the protesters.

On September 18, about 400 Shia Muslims protested outside the USembassy in Bangkok against the film, chanting "Destroy America,"although the demonstration remained peaceful.

The embassy shut early for the Shia protest but remained open onThursday. "We don’t want to mix with the Shia because we have different styles," said Asis, a member of the Young Muslims Association of Thailand.

"The Shia are more violent." The majority of Thai Muslims are Sunni. Islam is a minority religion in predominantly Buddhist Thailand, accounting for less than 10 per cent of the population.