In Yangon, Myanmar's military arrested additional individuals on Wednesday following the departure of a UN envoy who had visited the country to address the violent crackdown on protests that had caused international outrage. Witnesses reported that at least eight truckloads of prisoners were taken from downtown Yangon, where last week's protests against military rule and economic hardship had been centered. In one house near the Shwedagon Pagoda, only a 13-year-old girl remained after her parents were taken into custody. She stated that they were warned not to flee as authorities may return. Despite some optimism about UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari's progress in persuading junta chief Than Shwe to ease his control and engage in talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the crackdown in Myanmar continued. Singapore, as chair of ASEAN, expressed satisfaction with the cooperation given to Gambari by the Myanmar government. Gambari, who met with Suu Kyi twice, was expected to return to Myanmar in early November after his visit to Singapore. However, there was uncertainty about whether his efforts and international pressure would bring about any significant changes in the junta's policies, as they typically do not respond to outside influence or welcome UN officials. David Steinberg, an expert on Myanmar from Georgetown University, believes that the top leadership is so ingrained in their beliefs that it will not be beneficial. He mentioned that they often justify their actions by claiming they are on the path to democracy, questioning what more people could want. The junta's "seven-step road to democracy" was initiated in September, completing the first step with the conclusion of a 14-year national convention. Critics argue that the resulting constitution will further solidify military control and prevent Suu Kyi from holding office. The recent protests, the most significant challenge to the junta in nearly two decades, originated from small demonstrations against sudden fuel price hikes in August and escalated after soldiers fired warning shots over the heads of monks. The military government claims that they used minimal force to disperse the monk-led protests that spanned five city blocks, and that Yangon and other cities have now returned to normal. They acknowledge 10 deaths, but dismiss reports of higher casualties and atrocities as lies. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, however, believes the actual death toll is much higher than the official figure of 30. Despite this, the junta believes they have successfully quashed the uprising and have eased restrictions, including removing barricades and releasing some monks who were detained in monastery raids. One young monk reported that most of those taken from his monastery were allowed to return after being verbally threatened but not physically harmed during questioning. However, witnesses stated that there was still a significant armed presence in the streets of Yangon and Mandalay, the second largest city. The military regime is reportedly sending groups into homes to search for monks in hiding, actions that Western diplomats describe as creating a climate of fear. International outrage at the severe crackdown on peaceful protests continues unabated. The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which includes China, the junta's closest ally, denounced the regime's use of violence. They called on the military leaders to allow UN human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to visit Myanmar for the first time in four years. Pinheiro reported that thousands of individuals had been detained. Pinheiro emphasized the importance of uncovering the truth about the events that occurred, stating this to the council. The council passed a resolution condemning acts of violence such as beatings, killings, and detentions. Myanmar accused powerful countries of using the hearing for political gain.