About 50 members of the Falun Gong religious movement began staging a weeklong protest at Ala Moana Park today against the persecution of their group in China.

Nearly all have paid their way to Honolulu from Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. mainland to raise awareness of the issue this week when 21 political leaders, including Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President Barack Obama, are here for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering.

Nico Chen of Hsinchu, Taiwan, said they want to raise awareness about the abuses among the world leaders as well as the public

The members, dressed in yellow T-shirts, held signs, passed out brochures and prayed under a tree.

Meanwhile, nine people gathered for an Occupy APEC protest at Princess Kaiulani Park this afternoon in Waikiki. "Forces of globalization are gradually turning First World nations into Third World nations," said Mike Daly, who described himself as an artist-activist.