Their views on the bill have fallen on deaf ears, and the government claims they do not understand the bill. When they asked to be englightened, the government did not respond.

That is pretty typical from Beijing and it's Toadies. "You don't understand" is their standard line for anyone who refuses to go along with them. What they mean is "you just don't understand that you're supposed to quietly accept whatever we want."
I get the same response whenever I debate 20th century Chinese history with them and refute their "Taiwan is a renegade province" nonsense by pointing out that the ROC government is older than the PRC government so 'how can the father be in rebellion against the son?' This always earns a blank stare followed by "you don't understand China."
Paul Midler hit the nail on the head perfectly in his book What's Wrong With China when he described this as "never meant as an actual critique of a foreigner's ability to grasp the culture, [but] simply an act of desperation. It is the card played against the outsider when a local feels cornered."
Within Hong Kong, it is a bit different, as there is a blurry line between "foreigner" and "local" where HK citizens stand, but it sounds to me like a modern update of the trite refrain of "read the Basic Law" that Pro-Beijing officials used to use in a lame attempt to claim that anyone opposing their view was ignorant.
The Party and their cronies have never, ever, ever learned a new tactic. It's simply "if the other guy opposes you, claim he doesn't know what he's talking about and refuse to defend your position any further."