Representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and others from the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) factions will take part in peace talks with a Thai government delegation on March 28, National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr said on Monday.
Lt-Gen Paradorn said the NSC was ready for the talks.
He said that at the invitation of Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, director of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), he attended a meeting on Saturday with religious leaders and representatives of universities and the people's sector in the region to exchange opinions.
The Thai side would ask for cooperation from the insurgent groups in reducing the incidence of violence in the three southern-most border provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.
It was likely to take time to see a concrete result because the insurgent leaders would have to first send messages to their followers.
The first round of talks on March 28 would aim mainly at establishing trust between the two sides, and would not go to the extent of exchanging proposals, he said.
The NSC chief declined to disclose the names of the 15 Thai delegates, citing safety reasons, adding this was also agreed to at the Saturday meeting.
He said Masae Useng and Sapae-ing Maso would also attend the meeting.
Both are "wanted" leaders of insurgent groups in the three southern border provinces,
Lt-Gen Paradorn said he believed the March 28 talks would see some progress, and this could lead to more frequent talks, which could include representatives of teams involved in development projects, Lt-Gen Paradorn said.
The NSC chief said he did not expected any real problems to emerge elsewhere in the country during April, when many groups of protesters might come out to hold rallies.
The main activities in April would be over the House deliberation of the government's 2.2 trillion baht loan bill and charter amendment bills, and the oral statements to be made by Thailand and Cambodia in the International Court of Justice over the territorial dispute between the two countries, he said.