- Following the departure of a U.N. envoy who visited Myanmar to address the violent suppression of protests, the junta in Myanmar continued to arrest more individuals on Wednesday. Witnesses reported that several truckloads of prisoners were removed from downtown Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, where protests led by monks against military rule and economic struggles had taken place. In one particular house near the Shwedagon Pagoda, a 13-year-old girl was the only one left after her parents were taken by authorities. She mentioned that they were instructed not to flee, as there was a possibility of the authorities returning. This incident occurred after people from various shophouses were forced onto the street and many were taken away in the middle of the night. The crackdown persisted despite some optimism about progress made by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in persuading junta chief Than Shwe to ease his strict control and engage in dialogue 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, currently in Singapore on his way back to New York, is expected to return to Myanmar in early November, according to U.N. sources. However, it remains uncertain how his efforts and international pressure will impact the policies of a junta that typically ignores external pressure and rarely welcomes U.N. officials. "I am not anticipating significant results from this situation." Georgetown University expert on Myanmar, David Steinberg, believes that the top leadership in the country is too set in their ways to be open to change. He mentioned that the junta's claim of being on the path to democracy may not be genuine, as evidenced by their "seven-step road to democracy". The completion of the first step in September through the national convention has raised concerns that the new constitution will further entrench military rule and exclude opposition leader Suu Kyi. The recent protests, sparked by fuel price hikes and escalated by violent crackdowns on monks, pose a significant challenge to the junta's authority. The military government claims that they used minimal force to counter the monk-led protests, which spanned five city blocks. They stated that the situation in Yangon and other cities had returned to normal, despite reports of higher casualties and atrocities being labeled as lies. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and other Western governments believe that the actual death toll is much higher than the official count of 10. Downer expressed that the number of 30, which has been used officially, is likely an underestimate. Despite this, the junta believes that they have successfully suppressed the uprising and have removed barricades around the Shwedagon and Sule pagodas, the main protest sites. They have also relaxed the overnight curfew by two hours. Additionally, 80 monks and 149 women suspected to be nuns who were detained in widespread raids have been released. Five local journalists, including one from Japan's Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, were released. Despite this, witnesses reported a continued heavy presence of armed forces in Yangon and Mandalay. The military junta is reportedly sending groups to search homes for hiding monks, causing fear among the population. International outrage over the violent crackdown on peaceful protests also continues, with the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, including China, condemning the junta's actions and calling for the U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar to be allowed access to the country for the first time in four years. He mentioned that thousands of individuals had been arrested. Pinheiro stated that it was crucial to uncover the truth about the events. The council passed a resolution condemning acts of violence and detentions. Myanmar accused powerful nations of using the hearing for political gain.