Despite political reforms introduced since 2011, human rights abuses remain a serious problem in Burma, according to two leading international human rights groups. In a press release issued on Thursday, Amnesty International noted that despite a year-end amnesty for political prisoners, two land-rights activists and a Buddhist monk on hunger strike have been charged in January under draconian anti-protest laws. Meanwhile, in its annual report on human rights conditions around the world, Human Rights Watch acknowledged improvements in Burma, but said serious problems persist, including violence against Muslims, ethnic conflict and displacement, and laws restricting basic freedoms.