Nevertheless, the role of the Special Branch has been reduced over time, and the talks have begun to take on more of life of their own. The BRN delegation sought to seize the initiative in the second meeting by articulating a list of five demands: Recognition of Malaysia as a mediator; the release of prisoners held on security charges; droppings of arrest warrants; recognizing the rights of Malay Muslims as owners of 'Patani';and, acknowledging BRN as a liberation movement. This list of demands suggested a degree of planing and forethought which wrong-footed the ill-prepared Thai delegation, leaving the Bangkok government floundering to respond.