Tribal leader a thorn in the side of Freeport mining firm
It was like sitting in a tough street lawyer's office, only hotter. In through the door they came, some nodding deferentially, others looking him in the eye and shaking his hand.
This was the Timika 'office' of Tom Beanal, a tribal leader widely revered by his fellow Irianese, but a thorn in the side of PT Freeport Indonesia, the mining company forced to do business with him.
Mr Beanal represents a significant portion of Irianese indigenous to the area of Freeport mining operations and regularly meets company officials.
Not that Freeport is malicious, there is even a strong hint of grudging respect for 49-year-old Mr Beanal, and without him, the job of gauging local concerns and needs would be even more difficult.
Nevertheless, he does pose a problem for Freeport who, despite having to work with him, regard him as recalcitrant to the point of being just plain old stubborn.
The designated meeting place for Mr Beanal was the Catholic Church, in the heart of Timika in Irian Jaya's so-called lowlands where the equatorial heat is unrelenting and malaria is a problem.
It is a far cry from the cool climes of the nearby highlands, home to the colossal Grasberg mine which is the reason for Freeport's presence in one of the most remote regions of the world.
It is the knock-on effect of the highland mining operations which affects Mr Beanal and those living in Timika, for it is Timika that sees the legacy of mining - tailings, the leftovers after the valuable ore has been extracted from the earth and flushed down the river valley.
It is for this reason, and that the land is the traditional home to two key tribes in the area, that Freeport is forced to consider and provide for the local people.
Mr Beanal acknowledges the environmental and community development work being done by Freeport but says there is still room for more - much more.
A constant stream of people move in and out of the small room set aside for him beside the church.
Each seeks his counsel and each appears to walk away happy. A few words are enough to send Mr Beanal into a whirlwind monologue, but to most his words make sense.
'Why shouldn't we seek compensation, they are not making millions from the land of others in Indonesia, they are making it from our land?' he says.
Commenting on the Government's transmigration policy whereby people are sent from throughout Indonesia to Irian Jaya to effectively marginalise locals, Mr Beanal is equally adamant.
'Irianese must have a role in every facet of this mine, not just at the bottom rung of the ladder,' he says.
Mr Beanal has profited from the presence of the mining company, through his participation in a business incubator programme implemented by Freeport but says, 'they gave it to me, I didn't ask for it'.
