Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is on a crusade against war crimes and warmongers, has been accused of being a war criminal himself.

The Police Watch and Human Rights Committee (PWHRC) said his hands are 'stained with the blood' of the victims in the March 2001 Kampung Medan clashes.

The committee was responding to the formation of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission and War Crimes Tribunal mooted by the Perdana Global Peace Foundation headed by Mahathir.

In a statement today, PWHRC's legal adviser P Uthayakumar said while the formation of the august bodies is to be lauded, it is however 'embarrassing' that they are led by Mahathir.

"It would be six years on March 8 this year, when all of a sudden, peaceful Malaysia witnessed the killing of six and more than 100 Indian Malaysians seriously injured," he said.

"It has been 2,167 days since this tragedy but there has only been pin drop silence. Despite scores of appeal, there has been no royal commission of inquiry, inquest, Parliamentary White Paper or anyone prosecuted for the crimes," he added.

Uthayakumar also cited an International Herald Tribune news report in 2001, which claimed that the police did not act when one victim was being beaten to death.

'Mini genocide'

He said an urgent appeal was made to Mahathir, who was then prime minister, to bring an end to the violence but he "allowed it to continue for 15 days."

"With a complete media blackout, Mahathir was successful in turning this incident into 'racial clashes' when it was in fact a racial attack," he alleged.

"If it was racial clashes, how come almost all the victims were on one side i.e. Indian Malaysians? In short, there was a full-scale cover-up by Mahathir," he added.

Uthayakumar also claimed that the victims were never compensated while scores of police reports on the incident were not investigated.

"Mahathir got off 'scot free' after having been behind this 'mini genocide'. But today, he has gone international to condemn war criminals in other countries when his hands are stained with blood in his country," he said.

The government has dismissed the allegation that the Kampung Medan clashes were premeditated.