Myanmar's military regime continued to detain more individuals on Wednesday following the departure of a U.N. envoy who had arrived in an attempt to stop the violent suppression of protests that had triggered global condemnation. Witnesses reported seeing at least eight trucks filled with prisoners being transported out of downtown Yangon, the country's largest city and the focal point of recent demonstrations led by monks against the oppressive military regime and worsening economic conditions. In one residence near the Shwedagon Pagoda, a young girl of 13 was the only one left as her parents had been arrested. She recounted how they were warned not to try to escape, as there was a possibility of the authorities returning. The arrests took place in the middle of the night, with residents of multiple shophouses being ordered onto the streets and many of them taken into custody. The crackdown in Myanmar continued despite some optimism about progress made by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in his efforts to convince junta chief Than Shwe to ease his strict control and engage in talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Singapore, as the chair of ASEAN, expressed satisfaction with the cooperation shown by the Myanmar government towards Gambari. Gambari, who met with Aung San Suu Kyi twice, was expected to return to Myanmar in early November after a brief stop in Singapore before heading back to New York. However, there were doubts about whether his mission and international pressure would be able to influence the junta's policies, as they typically do not respond well to outside pressure and rarely welcome U.N. officials. "I don't anticipate significant results from this." Georgetown University expert on Myanmar, David Steinberg, believes that the top leadership in Myanmar is too set in their ways to change. He expressed skepticism about the junta's "seven-step road to democracy", suggesting that they may not be willing to listen to criticism. The first step of this plan was completed in September, but critics argue that it will only solidify military rule and prevent Aung San Suu Kyi from holding office. The recent protests, which started in response to fuel price hikes and escalated after troops clashed with monks, have posed a significant challenge to the junta's authority. The military government claims that they used minimal force to counter the monk-led protests, which covered five city blocks, and that Yangon and other cities have returned to normal. They acknowledge 10 deaths, but dismiss reports of higher casualties and atrocities as false. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, along with other Western governments, believe the actual death toll is much higher than the official figure of 30. Despite this, the junta believes they have successfully quelled the uprising and have removed barricades around the Shwedagon and Sule pagodas, the main protest sites, and reduced the overnight curfew by two hours. Additionally, 80 monks and 149 women suspected to be nuns, who were arrested in widespread raids, have been released. Five local journalists, one of whom is employed by Japan's Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, were released. Despite this, witnesses reported a strong armed presence in the streets of Yangon and Mandalay. The military junta is reportedly sending groups into homes to search for monks in hiding, a tactic that Western diplomats believe is instilling fear in the population. The international community continues to express outrage over the brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrations. The U.N. Human Rights Council, which includes China, a key ally of the regime, condemned the junta's use of violence and urged the generals to allow U.N. human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to visit Myanmar for the first time in four years. He mentioned that thousands of individuals had been arrested. Pinheiro informed the council that it was crucial to uncover the truth about the events. The council passed a resolution condemning acts of violence such as beatings, killings, and detentions. Myanmar accused powerful nations of using the hearing for political gain.