The authorities will discuss the five demands of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist group at the next round of southern peace talks, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha says.
None of the BRN's demands have been accepted, as so far they have not yet been put on the negotiating table, he said.
Speaking after a two-hour meeting of security agencies chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok on Friday, Gen Prayuth said it had been agreed to ask the BRN to formally explain their demands so they could be discussed.
The BRN issued the five demands in a video clip posted on YouTube in April.
Earlier this month, the BRN said it had yet to receive a response from the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.
The demands include that the Thai government acknowledge that the BRN represents the rights of the "Melayu Patani nation" in the dialogue, that all detained suspects must be released and and that all arrest warrants concerning national security cases must be suspended and revoked.
It also wants Asean members, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and international NGOs to be allowed to witness the peace talks.
The BRN also insists on being recognised as a liberation movement rather than a separatist group, and it called for Malaysia to be the mediator for the talks instead of facilitator.
The army chief said the BRN's demands are sensitive and complicated, and negotiations will take time.
The BRN must explain in writing why these demands are being made and what the government can expect if the demands are accepted, Gen Prayuth said.
The peace talks are expected to resume next month, on a date yet to be announced.
The army chief stressed that the BRN should submit its demands via the proper channels and called on the media not to publicise the demands if this was not done.
"The group wants to use the media to help spread its demands," he said.
"[In publicising the demands], the media would be speaking on their behalf and thereby pressuring the state authorities.
"Don't speak for them. We should encourage them to talk to the peace talks delegation."
Gen Prayuth said the BRN wanted to continue with the peace process because it knew it would lose credibility if the southern violence persisted.
Meanwhile, an army ranger was killed and three others injured when a bomb exploded on a road in Pattani's Yarang district yesterday, local authorities said.
Sgt Maj 1st Class Prawet Saengsom died from blast wounds at Pattani Hospital.
The wounded were identified as Ranger Supachai Daothong, Ranger Uthain Nilkhunthod and Ranger Rungsak Chomchalao, all from Ranger Company 2206. The four were travelling in a pickup truck along a road in Moo 6, tambon Rawaeng, when the bomb went off.
They were on their way to examine suspicious objects and paint daubed on the road.
The 20kg bomb was planted in a waste water pipe and detonated when the pickup truck passed. The vehicle was badly damaged in the explosion.
In Narathiwat's Rueso district, a 50-man task force yesterday raided a village and detained two men for questioning in connection with an Aug 16 gun attack on a police patrol car.
The pair were identified as Norading Yeemayee and Isma-ae Salaemae, both 33. Both denied any connection with the shooting that killed four policemen including a deputy inspector of Rueso police station.
The authorities found that Mr Norading had had telephone contact with Ma-ee-sor Dorloh, one of the suspects who was killed by security forces on Aug 21.
The suspects were taken to a military base in Yala for further questioning.
Eight people have so far been detained in connection with the deadly shooting.