Myanmar's military regime continued to arrest more individuals following the departure of a U.N. envoy who had visited the country in an attempt to stop the violent crackdown on protests that had sparked international condemnation. Witnesses reported that several truckloads of detainees were removed from downtown Yangon, where recent protests against military rule and economic struggles had taken place. In one area near the Shwedagon Pagoda, a young girl revealed that her parents had been taken by authorities, leaving her behind with a warning not to flee. The arrests occurred in the middle of the night, with many residents forced out of their homes onto the streets. The crackdown in Myanmar continued despite some optimism regarding progress made by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in his efforts to persuade junta chief Than Shwe to ease his control and engage in discussions with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Singapore, as the chair of ASEAN, expressed satisfaction with the cooperation provided by the Myanmar government to Gambari. Gambari, currently in Singapore on his way back to New York, was expected to return to Myanmar in early November, according to U.N. sources. However, it was uncertain how effective his mission and international pressure would be in influencing the policies of a junta that typically ignores external pressure and rarely allows access to U.N. officials. "I don't anticipate much progress from this situation." David Steinberg, an expert on Myanmar from Georgetown University, believes that the top leadership in Myanmar is deeply entrenched in their views and unlikely to change. He mentioned that the leadership often claims they are on the path to democracy and questions what more people want. Steinberg referred to the junta's "seven-step road to democracy," with the first step completed in September following a 14-year national convention. Critics argue that the resulting constitution will further entrench military rule and prevent Suu Kyi from holding office. The recent protests, which have been the largest challenge to the junta in two decades, began with small demonstrations against fuel price increases and escalated after troops fired upon a group of monks. The junta claims that the monk-led protests, which spanned five city blocks, were met with minimal force and that Yangon and other cities had returned to normal. They acknowledge 10 deaths, dismissing reports of higher casualties as lies, although Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer believes the true number is likely much higher. Despite this, the junta believes it has successfully quelled the uprising, removing barricades around key protest sites and easing the curfew. Additionally, 80 monks and 149 women suspected to be nuns, who were detained in raids last week, have been released. Five local reporters, including one from Japan's Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, were released, but there was still a heavy presence of armed forces in the streets of Yangon and Mandalay, according to witnesses. The military regime is also sending groups to search homes for hiding monks, a move that Western diplomats say is instilling fear among the population. International outrage continues over the violent crackdown on peaceful protests, with the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva - including China, the junta's ally - condemning the actions. The Council also called for the U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, to be allowed to visit the country for the first time in four years. He mentioned that thousands of individuals had been arrested. Pinheiro stressed the importance of uncovering the truth about the situation. The council passed a resolution expressing disapproval of the violence. Myanmar accused powerful nations of using the hearing for political gain.