Japan said Wednesday it does not recognize Myanmar's new military junta but referred to the military-appointed official as "foreign minister" out of a need to communicate with an entity that effectively has controlled the Southeast Asian country since a Feb. 1 coup.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a parliamentary session that he "is not judging whether he is legitimate," in reference to Wunna Maung Lwin, whom the junta tapped as foreign minister in place of Aung San Suu Kyi, the ousted civilian leader who doubles as Myanmar's top diplomat.

Myanmar residents in Japan flash three-finger salutes during a protest in Kobe on March 7, 2021, against their country's military that has detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy party since the Feb. 1 coup. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Motegi did not give legitimacy to the junta, either, saying, "We do not believe a new administration has been launched" in Myanmar following the military takeover.

Earlier this week, Japan referred to Wunna Maung Lwin as "foreign minister," triggering a backlash on social media by Myanmar people.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato also stressed the importance of continuing dialogue with the junta and urged generals to stop violence against civilians, release Suu Kyi and other detainees and swiftly restore Myanmar's democratic political system.

"From the perspective of maintaining a dialogue with the Myanmar military, we have referred to Wunna Maung Lwin as foreign minister, but this does not at all mean that Japan approves the coup by the Myanmar military or its violence against demonstrators," Kato, the top government spokesman, said at a news conference.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday night, the Japanese Embassy in Yangon said Ambassador Ichiro Maruyama conveyed Tokyo's position on the coup to "Foreign Minister U Wanna Maung Lwin" in talks in the capital Naypyitaw earlier in the day.

Motegi also called Wunna Maung Lwin "foreign minister" at a press conference Tuesday while giving a briefing on his meeting with Maruyama the previous day.

The Japanese Embassy's statement has drawn over 7,900 comments on Facebook. "Wunna Maung Lwin isn't our foreign minister," one user commented, while another said, "No one recognizes him" as foreign minister.

Others pleaded that the title not be used to refer to him.

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