Two years ago, discovered at the frontier line of S'mukana (meaning "iron wire net" in Kirkiz) between China and Kirghizstan, were several flat stones bearing on one side the characters for zhong guo (China), hand-engraved in the simplest way, and, on the other side, the word Kirghizstan in the Kirkiz language, and, on some other stones, the name Burmakan. The local authority investigated and discovered the author of these inscriptions. Burmakan had simply copied the names of the two countries from other writings. This was in 1961, when she was 19 years old. Her father used to guard the border before her. He told his children, "When you grow up, you will do as I do. Up there, there are no soldiers. It is our duty to protect our country."
This was 60 km from where they lived. It is where they led the flocks in the summer. Burmakan would spend long periods on the pastureland without returning home. At 3,800 m altitude, it is cold in August. One evening after a heavy snowfall, Burmakan could not find her way to her shelter. The snow level was half way up her leg. She was lost in the dark, so she waited until sunset to orient herself. Such misadventures were frequent and the soldiers on patrol or who were stationed in the surroundings also lost their way or were victims of rain storms or floods. Burmakan saved several of them from death. She brought them back and fed them. On our way to Jigen this afternoon, we crossed a control point at the end of the road, and the guards, seeing their "mother" in the car, let us pass without question. Burmakan is nicknamed "mother of all the soldiers."
She was so devoted to her voluntary task that she neglected her own family. One day, when it was raining heavily, she went to help a lone woman and, during her absence, her own house and all the family belongings were flooded. From the pastureland where the tent was to the frontier, Burmakan rode 20 km twice a day, sometimes with a newborn in her arms. She gave so much of herself that her breast milk ran dry.
Another day, during a meal, she heard gunshots by the border. She left in a hurry to see what was going on. This was the final straw for her husband, who lost his temper and claimed that he wanted a divorce. He had had enough of a woman who didn't cook meals on time and didn't take care of her children properly. Eventually he calmed down and understood that she was on a sacred mission. He accepted the situation.
But what could an unarmed woman have done in the face of intruders who were attempting to penetrate Chinese territory? On horseback, she would have called on the soldiers.
It has now been more than 45 years since Burmakan has been working voluntarily to serve her country. She has never received any compensation except a pair of shoes a year. When the Communist Party publicly praised her heroism and her commitment last year, journalists flew to her place and all the media reported her story. This is why her grandson, who was born during that wave of publicity, was named "journalist."
Burmakan's greatest desire had long been to become a member of the Communist Party. Not everyone can be admitted. Her dream came true when, last year, her achievements came to light. Her new house, to which she just received the key, is a mark of the Party's gratitude. Moreover, she now receives 100 yuan a month for her lifetime. In talking of the Party's kind deeds, Burmakan couldn't hold back her tears. "My father has not seen my new house," she lamented. "He would have been so proud. When my older sister was killed by a car that was driven by a soldier, my father told the horrified, trembling military: 'Go, go, and drive carefully. All the soldiers are my sons.' He didn't have the soldier arrested. He said it would not bring my sister back to life." And, she added, emotionally, "I went to Beijing twice, and four times to Urumqi. My poor father, never...." One of Burmakan's sons, in trying to save his mother from a potentially violent yak, was thrown from his horse and lost the use of his legs.
The "soldiers' mother" suffers from arthritis in her knees, and the altitude of nearly 4,000 m causes more problems for her. Through her example, Burmakan has planted the seed of patriotism in her whole family. She doesn't go to the border anymore, but 10 of her family members do it in turn, including the children. After meeting this heroic woman, we took the road back to Wuqia where we arrived around 23:00. At the hotel two representatives of the Artux Information Office were waiting for me; they had driven 100 km to say farewell. They wanted to dine with me and especially to give me a traditional headgear of the local ethnic group – a thoughtful gesture that ties me closer to "my Kirkiz family."
(Source: Foreign Languages Press)
