While the military’s SAC (State Administrative Council) after one month since the coup is still struggling to gain any recognition, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) which represents the NLD leadership still held in detention, has appointed a number of ministers selected from elected candidates who won seats for the NLD in the 2020 election.

On February 3rd, the CRPH appointed the following acting union ministers to carry out the government’s tasks: Daw Zin Mar Aung as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; U Lwin Ko Latt, the Union Minister for the Office of the President and the Union Government Office; U Tin Tun Naing as the Minister for the Planning and Finance, the Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and the Commerce and Dr Zaw Wai Soe, as the Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population, the Education and the Ministry of Health and Sports. The CRPH will continue assigning duties to the suitable persons so as to effectively perform the duties of the union government.

The army arrested the cabinet members, region and state ministers, lawmakers including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after taking the power on February 1st. The army also announced that the elected government no longer existed. These acting ministers are either safely in exile or still in hiding and form part of a wider campaign that seeks to deny any kind of legitimacy or recognition to the coup-leaders.

So no diplomatic recognition has been accorded by the regional grouping of ASEAN and the new regime has been widely condemned by democratic governments around the world.