▁as ▁well ▁as ▁opening ▁other ▁kinds ▁of ▁business es ▁such ▁as ▁traditional ▁Chinese ▁medicine ▁sh ops ▁and , ▁less ▁re put ably , ▁mass age ▁parl ours . ▁In ▁the ▁meant ime , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁super mark ets ▁and ▁m alls ▁and ▁other ▁modern isation ▁of ▁Sri ▁L anka ' s ▁ret ail ▁and ▁medical ▁se ctors , ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁early ▁migr ants ▁have ▁moved ▁away ▁from ▁their ▁families ' ▁traditional ▁business es ▁into ▁areas ▁as ▁varied ▁as ▁sh rim p ▁far ming ▁and ▁account ancy . ▁ ▁Cit iz ens hip ▁Many ▁descend ants ▁of ▁early ▁Chinese ▁migr ants ▁were ▁stat eless . ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁after ▁lo bb ying ▁led ▁by ▁University ▁of ▁Per aden i ya ▁zo ology ▁gradu ate ▁Ch wing - Ch i ▁Ch ang , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁and ▁In ternal ▁Administration ▁Minister ▁Rat n asi ri ▁W ick re man ay ake ▁presented ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁with ▁a ▁draft ▁bill ▁to ▁grant ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁citizens hip ▁to ▁stat eless ▁persons ▁of ▁Chinese ▁origin ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time . ▁It ▁was ▁passed ▁into ▁law ▁without ▁debate ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁new ▁law , ▁the ▁" Gr ant ▁of ▁Cit iz ens hip ▁to ▁Pers ons ▁of ▁Chinese ▁Origin " ▁Act , ▁applies ▁to ▁persons ▁" bel ong ing ▁to ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Race " ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁permanent ▁residents