Ireland cannot be silent on the “contempt” shown by Chinese authorities in arresting Cardinal Joseph Zen for his support of democracy in Hong Kong, said Senator Gerard Craughwell.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the independent senator asked “how many tonnes of beef is the human rights abuse in Hong Kong worth to keep us silent?”

The 90-year-old Cardinal Zen was detained by national security police earlier this month, charged with violating the territory’s draconian security law, before being released on bail. The charges relate to the work of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, a charity that helps political arrestees in Hong Kong defray their legal expenses.

Senator Craughwell said the arrest speaks volumes about the “Chinese Junta”, that they “have the neck to go that far up the community food chain to arrest a senior member of the Catholic Church.

He added that Ireland “should be making the strongest statements as publicly as possible at the UN security council.

Attempts to raise issues relating to China’s actions in Hong Kong in the Seanad “are closed down as much as possible”, Senator Craughwell said.

“We daren’t say a word that might lead to a reduction in the amount of beef we export,” he continued.