Thai bomb squad members inspect the site of a roadside bomb attack by suspected separatist militants Wednesday (October 9th) in Narathiwat. Peace talks with the militant group Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) scheduled for late October have been postponed indefinitely, the government announced Friday. [Madaree Tohlala/AFP]

BANGKOK, Thailand – The fourth round of peace talks between the government and rebel group Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) scheduled for later this month, has been delayed indefinitely, Army Commander in Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said Friday (October 11th).

Prayuth said the government rejected all five of BRN's demands, adding the postponement was necessary because the militants split into several factions.

Also, Thai military forces are being reinforced in the Deep South in response to a recent outburst of violence the last few days, he said. The military was ordered to take the offensive and work with government agencies in the region to deal with militant attacks.

Prayuth said, however, that the forces must be careful to avoid retaliation that could lead to more extreme separatist demands.