BANGKOK, Dec. 3 -- Three committees at different levels will be set up with the task of restoring peace in Thailand 's restive south through negotiation with insurgent groups, a Thai military officer said Wednesday.

There will be a policy-level committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a panel responsible for holding peace talks, and a working group committed to local-level coordination, Banpot Phunpian, spokesman of the Internal Security Operations Command, was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying.

The talks-holding panel will be headed by Gen Aksara Kerdpol, chairman of the Thai army's advisory panel and the government's new chief negotiator.

The panel will comprise about 10 members, who are from the Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry, National Intelligence Agency, National Security Council and the army, according to Banpot.

Initial preparations for talks with southern insurgents were being made, Deputy Defense Minister and army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said.

Thailand's Deep South, including three Muslim, ethnic-Malay dominated southern border provinces - Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat - and four districts of Songkhla, has been plagued by separatist violence since January 2004.

Prayut has just returned from a visit to Malaysia with the confirmation that the neighboring country would continue to facilitate the peace negotiation between the Thai government and insurgents.

At this moment, the Thai side has to wait for Malaysia to talk to the insurgent groups, Aksara said.

The peace process will be divided into three stages, Banpot said.

The first stage will include talks and promotion of understanding and trust, an agreement to be reached on a code of conduct to reduce confrontation and end violence at the second, and a roadmap to be established on resolving conflict through peaceful means at the third, he elaborated.

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