By Ceylon Signal 
The Inter‑Continental Human Rights Commission (IC HRC) has urged the Sri Lankan government to launch an immediate investigation into a suspected covert construction project inside a protected state reserve in the Northern Province, where 49 acres of land have reportedly been cleared and several concrete buildings erected without approval.
In a formal letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Defence Secretary, and the Minister of Public Security, the Commission’s Executive Director raised alarm over what it believes could be the operation of a clandestine training camp.
According to the Commission, a three‑storey building has already been constructed inside the reserve without any government authorisation, with an estimated 100–150 individuals working at the site. The organisation stressed that authorities must determine whether the structure is being used to plan activities that could pose a threat to national security.
One of the buildings is said to house a garment factory on its ground floor, while another section of the land is reportedly being used for a coconut plantation presented as part of a government‑approved investment project. Drone imagery cited in the Commission’s letter shows that approximately 39–45 acres have been fenced off illegally.
Local residents and officials have expressed deep suspicion that the site may be intended for use as a training camp linked to a former terrorist organisation or even a bomb‑manufacturing facility. Violent extremist and terrorist groups have historically been responsible for severe harm and human rights violations, and any indication of such activity warrants urgent scrutiny.
The Commission further claims that senior government officials may be backing the project, and that it could be operating with foreign assistance.
The organisation has called for an immediate, transparent investigation to determine the legality, purpose, and security implications of the construction activities within the reserve