[jQuery] (autocomplete)

[Ordos]

I am using the jQuery plugin autocomplete on an country input field:

I got this php array with countries in dutch:
$global_countries = array();
$global_countries['AF'] = 'Afghanistan';
$global_countries['AX'] = 'Ålandseilanden';
$global_countries['AL'] = 'Albanië';
...

Then php implodes the array and evals a html file to fill the js var.
This is in my html file:

        var countries = [$countries];
        $("#country").autocomplete(countries, {
                minChars: 2,
                max: 12,
                autoFill: false,
                mustMatch: true,
                matchContains: true,
                scrollHeight: 220
        });

But now, when I start to type a country I get ALL special characters
like: Belgi�

If I use php htmlentities on each country it is displayed like it
should in the select list, but when selected I see the ASCII code of
course. België becomes België