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This article examines piracy in the Tonkin region of Indochina in the late 19th century, as seen through the eyes of the French military. It first considers the limitations of using the sources provided by an imperial agent in an in-depth study of privacy, and then looks at the transformations and continuities that existed in the world of banditry before and after the arrival of the French. It then focuses on the composition of pirate groups, as well as their activities and modes of action. Finally, this article examines the role played by confrontation and negotiation with regard to the demise of this form of opposition to French rule.