Gogoi was arrested by the police in Calcutta on April 8, which incidentally was preceded by the arrest of general secretary Anup Chetia in December in Dhaka.

While the government is trying to paint a picture that Gogoi's confessional statements said that there were contradiction in the leadership of the rebel group, especially between the political and the armed wing, interviews in a section of the local media quoted commander-in-chief Paresh Barua and general secretary incharge Chitraban Hazarika as saying that there was absolutely no difference in the outfit's top wrung.

The armed wing, rechristened as United Liberation Force of Asom, even arranged to take some local scribes to one of its hide-outs in thedense jungles of southern Bhutan to cover the 19th Foundation Day of the organisation which was held on April 7.

At least two local newspapers, Asomiya Pratidin and Dainik Asom, the two widely-read vernacular dailies, have been carrying a series of reports on the ULFA camps in Bhutan, which speaks of coordination between the two wings of the outfit.

Reports gave vivid description of the foundation day celebration, where Barua hoisted the flag of the armed wing and Bhimkanta Buragohain, advisor, hoisted the main ULFA flag, which was followed by a march past and a guard-of-honour.

Going by the reports, the first ULFA camp inside Bhutan, ``Zero Zero Seven,'' appears to be one-day's walk from the Indo-Bhutan border, and is apparently out of reach of the Indian army, which is otherwise entitled to carry out a hot chase to about 10 kms into the neighbouring country's territory.

It also appeared from the reports that the ULFA's main camp, said to be spread over an area of about 2 sq kms, is located at adistance of about two days and two nights walk up the Himalayan terrain from the base camp.

The two newspapers have also said that the base camp of the ULFA is well-guarded on all sides.

The ULFA meanwhile has appointed Bagh Hazarika, a central committee member, as the vice-president incharge following the Gogoi's arrest, who is currently being interrogated by the Assam police in Guwahati. This was stated in a press release here last night.

Meanwhile, Barua has apparently admitted that the arrest of Chetia and Gogoi were temporary set-backs for the organisation, and that those would not hamper in any way the determination of the outfit to achieve a sovereign state.

But sources in the intelligence agencies here claimed that Gogoi's arrest was indeed a major set-back, as he had hailed the Prime Minister's suggestion for amending the constitution if that helped in finding a solution to the ULFA tangle.