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The United Nations has turned into another battleground over the military coup in Myanmar, with the country’s anti-junta ambassador in New York refusing to give up his seat and the military’s actions coming under Security Council scrutiny. It’s an early leadership test for US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (pictured), who was confirmed to her post last week and holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for March. The junta in Myanmar announced it had replaced Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun after he made a dramatic speech on Feb 26 at the General Assembly in defence of anti-military demonstrators while giving a three-finger salute. But the ambassador says he’s still the envoy, and he won support from Thomas-Greenfield, who met with him and commended his “courageous and compassionate statement.” In the latest twist, the deputy ambassador the junta installed in his place quit his post after facing criticism. The US Commerce Department, meanwhile, has added Myanmar’s ministries of defence and home affairs to its trade blacklist. Blacklisted entities, which will face export restrictions on certain items, also include two firms, Myanmar Economic Corp and Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd, which are owned and operated by the defence ministry. The European Union has suspended its support for development projects in Myanmar to avoid providing financial assistance to the military.