Louk

Chuoy, the walking talking condom and star of a local media campaign in the fight

against HIV/AIDS, took his message to the World AIDS Conference in Bangkok this week

which was opened by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The home-grown cartoon character is also teaming-up with Hollywood action star Jackie

Chan, who recently visited Cambodia, to deliver the safe sex message.

The cartoon skits were designed and narrated by Cambodians trained by a Nepalese

animator, and an English version has been prepared for global release.

Louk Chuoy translates as Mr Help. He has been a regular feature on Cambodian television

since a three-year campaign organized by the government and the BBC World Service

Trust was launched in May to combat the deadly virus.

Giselle Portenier of the BBC World Service Trust, said the words louk chuoy were

now entering the Khmer language as the preferred term for condom, as opposed to sroam

anamei which means "hygenic bag".

"Louk chuoy has connotations with another Khmer word that means love-making

and a woman would find it easier to say to her husband: 'Let's get Mr Help' as opposed

to 'Hey honey, can you fetch the hygenic bag'."

Cambodia has won worldwide applause for its efforts to combat the spread of the HIV/AIDS

virus and according to a recent report by the United Nations was one of only two

countries to report a drop in the rate of new HIV infections.

Portenier said a new batch of Louk Chuoy skits featuring Jackie Chan will air on

Cambodian television soon.

- Luke Hunt