In recent decades, the international press has reported countless Khmer artefacts of uncertain provenance, and dubious acquisition, held in private collections and museums around the world. Less well known are the hundreds of Khmer, Vietnamese and Laotian artefacts sold during the colonisation of French Indochina, from the mid-1920s onwards, with transactions approved by the highest echelons of power and colonial administration. The revenue from these sales was earmarked for conservation projects on Indochina’s monuments, particularly in the wake of the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 23 March 1907, which returned to Cambodia hundreds of decaying monuments in the provinces of Siem Reap, Battambang and Sisophon, formerly under Siamese control. The policy was akin to a form of regenerative cycle, where objects deemed of ‘low artistic value’ were sold so that other monuments could be repaired and conserved. To preserve Indochina’s cultural heritage, the French colonial government forbade the export of rare pieces, but on occasions it yielded to pressure from powerful individuals and highly-connected families. Some dissenting voices during this commercial phase of French influence in Indochina were swiftly and efficiently silenced. By reference to primary sources from archives in France, Cambodia and Vietnam, my presentation will outline the process, from legislation to decommissioning, pricing and export to museums and private collections around the world.